This Year
by kclaura2003
Summary: Beth tries to keep track of the passing days with a calendar in her cell all the while striking up a friendship with Daryl. Set between Seasons 3&4. Daryl/Beth. Rated: a light T.
1. This Year

**Hi there! Thanks for checking out my story. This is supposed to be kind in between S3 & S4 - post S3 events but before S4 events. Rated T but a very mild T; some language, sensuality but overall its gonna be pretty clean and mild. This is meant to be very light-hearted. **

**I do not own The Walking Dead. **

**I hope you enjoy! :)**

Chapter One: This Year

_Lemme think…Last time I changed the blocks was on the 17th…Dang, it's been that long?_

Beth Greene thought as she stared at the block calendar on the tiny table in her prison cell. There had been a bit of commotion, several walkers getting too close for comfort near the prison fences and they seemed to be piling up day by day. It seemed like there is always a new problem, a new threat to the group's security at the prison, and although Beth was more a "behind-the-scenes" member of the group, mostly seen but hardly heard, it was almost impossible for her not to get distracted. Plus, she was the main caregiver of baby Judith Grimes, which left her plenty busy most of the day.

Beth tried to remember how many days had passed since December 17th, she guessed it was December based on the cold, cool air outside, and the bare pine trees outside.

_Ten…Eleven…Twelve…Thirteen….Fourteen…Fourteen? Yeah, fourteen…I guess._

Beth thought as she turned the number blocks to read December 31st. _Its been two whole weeks since I last kept up with the date…December 31__st__. New Year's Eve? Is it really? _

There was slight tapping on the steel door frame of the cell. Beth glanced up expecting to see either her father Hershel or her sister Maggie but to her surprise it was neither but Daryl Dixon, the group's hunter and tracker.

"Hey," Daryl's raspy Southern drawl spoke. "Where's Lil-Ass-Kicker?" He asked, referring to baby Judith.

Beth smiled. "Rick came and got her about twenty minutes ago. He doesn't get to spend too much time with her and all, you know, between running things 'round here and everything he does so every night he comes by and takes her back to his and Carl's cell."

Daryl grunted as he nodded with understanding.

"What you up to?" Beth asked.

Daryl gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm just wandering 'round. Checkin' in with everybody. There's a lot more people to keep an eye on now that we got the Woodbury folks stayin' with us."

Beth nodded but didn't know what else to say. A moment of awkward silence hung in the air for a moment. Beth normally kept to herself, taking care of the baby and really only talking to her father, sister, and sometimes to Carl and Carol. While she respected the leaders of the group: Rick, Daryl, and Glenn, she rarely had any interaction with any of them, save for Glenn who was Maggie's boyfriend.

She figured this would be where Daryl would mumble a barely audible "Bye" and walk away but he didn't. Instead, he gestured with his chin toward the blocks on her table.

"You been hangin' out with a toddler too long that she's got you playing with blocks, huh, girl?" Daryl asked, amused.

Beth laughed as she fidgeted with the wooden blocks.

"Yeah," She said. "It's actually a calendar. Back when we first came here…One day me and Maggie were snooping around…found what used to be like an office, I guess…And there this was…just sitting there."

"How do you even know what day it is?" Daryl asked.

Beth shrugged. "It's a rough estimate…trust me. Today was the day I've finally had a chance to change it and I guess it's…December 31st. New Year's Eve…I can't believe how fast the days go by."

"Fast?" Daryl snorted. "Ever since this shit storm of the dead walkin' around eatin' the livin' I'd say the days go by slow…_painfully_ slow."

Daryl must have caught Beth's wide eyes blinking and her taken aback reaction because he then shifted nervously from foot to the other, looked down at the floor, and mumbled:

"Sorry about the language…That's just how I talk sometimes."

Another awkward silence followed and only the sounds of the other inhabitants of the prison could be heard. Beth really expected Daryl to leave this time for good but he continued to linger there in her doorway. She wondered why he just didn't come in, everybody else did, especially those from Rick's original group that she had met back at the farm.

Beth was about to ask Daryl if he wanted to sit down on her cot but before she could he commented:

"New Year's Eve, huh? Well, if I woulda known about that I'da brought back some wine or champagne from my last run…It ain't New Year's without a little bubbly in your Dixie cup…" He trailed off and then looked embarrassed again. "Sorry; I forget who I'm talking to sometimes…"

Beth couldn't help but chuckle softly at Daryl's lack of remembering she was only eighteen however it didn't matter anymore if she drank alcohol illegally or not.

"So…um…Daryl," Beth said. "Have you got any New Year's resolutions?"

He cocked his head to one side, raised eyebrow, and stared at her curiously but was unsure how to answer that question.

Beth paused for minute and looked down at the ground. She rubbed her arms with her hands even though she wasn't cold.

"I remember New Year's Eve back at the farm." She whispered. "Mama and Daddy would have their champagne and make a toast. Me, Maggie and Shawn would have red sparkling grape juice…We'd turn on the TV and watch the ball drop in New York City….We'd count down the last ten seconds of the year and then we'd all kiss and celebrate and sing "Auld Lang Syne".

The memories came flooding back to her and Beth felt hot tears brimming on her eyelids as she quietly sang: "Should old acquaintance be forgot/and never brought to mind/Should _old_ acquaintance be forgot/ and auld lang syne…"

"I never really understood that song," Daryl muttered.

Beth quickly wiped her eyes and regained her composure.

"It's about old friends. How we should never forget them."

She met his eyes then and saw there too in his green irises what he must thinking of: old friends and family they had lost.

"I guess…uh…well…I better be goin',…" Daryl said. "'Night, Beth."

"Good-night, Daryl." Beth said. "And Happy New Year's."

"Happy New Year's." Daryl replied and turned to leave the doorway. Beth listened to the sound of his boots scuffing the floor as he walked away but his footsteps stopped abruptly.

"Hey, Beth?" He called out.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"My resolution this year is…not to lose any more people. If I can help it…"


	2. Happy V-Day

Chapter Two: Happy V-Day

A light dusting of snow had fallen. The month seemed to have passed peacefully and without incident, everyone was thankful for. Beth was in her cell, gently rocking and cooing to Judith. The baby girl was happy and healthy; growing up so fast it seemed. Beth liked spending so much time with the baby; in a way Judith represented all that was still good in the world, what little good there was left. However, Beth couldn't help but wonder what was going happen when the girl begins to walk and talk and becomes aware of her surroundings.

_How on earth are we going to explain to her this world she was born in?_

Beth thought but then shook the negative thought away, telling herself that would be up to Judith's father and brother and however they'd want to do that.

Almost as if on cue, Rick and Carl showed up then to relieve Beth of babysitting duty. Daryl was with them too.

"I can't thank you enough, Beth," Rick said as he cradled his daughter in his arms.

"For everything you do to take care of her."

Beth waved the former sheriff off. "Hey, it's the very least I can do." She told him. "It's not like I'm any good for clearing walkers or going on runs."

"Beth, what you do is way more important than anything else anybody else does." Rick concluded and with that he and Carl left. Daryl stepped back to let the two men pass and looked at Beth.

"He's right you know," Daryl said. "What you do is important."

Beth shrugged. "Yeah…I'm just glad I have something to do and…" She trailed off, suddenly annoyed at Daryl's loitering in her doorway.

"Daryl…Why don't you just come in here and sit down? You don't have to stand there, you know. You're the only one who just hangs out outside my cell."

Daryl seemed a little hesitant at first but then he let out a heavy sigh, mumbled an "Awlright, then," and went to sit down at the chair next to the table.

He seemed to shift around like he was either nervous or uncomfortable or both. His eyes went to the block calendar on the desk: February 12th.

"You still keepin' up with the days?" Daryl asked as he toyed with the blocks.

Beth stretched on her cot. "Yeah," She replied. "Maggie saw that this morning and said she was gonna have to pressure Glenn into getting her something for Valentine's Day in two days…I told her I don't know how he's gonna find Hallmark cards and Russell Stover's chocolates."

Daryl chuckled as he kept fidgeting with the calendar. "Ha, ha…The world ended but some things still stay the same, don't they? Women still want their Valentine's Day."

Beth laughed thinking that for Maggie and Glenn everyday was like Valentine's Day for them even in this incredibly messed up world.

She cocked her head to one side as she curiously asked Daryl:

"What do you mean 'Women still want _their_ Valentine's Day?'"

Daryl grinned. "Oh, come on, Beth. You know damn well Valentine's Day was _the_ most commercialized holiday…besides Christmas….It was just a way for the stores and flower shops to make a shitload of money. Every dude out there knew if he didn't get his woman somethin' on Valentine's Day…he's gonna be sleepin' alone."

Beth laughed. "Believe or not…I wasn't one of those girls that had to have a big Valentine's Day. I mean, I remember when I was in grade school…I really liked it then…Everybody in the class would pass out Valentine's to each other…and I gave out those McDonald's Valentine's…the ones where you get, like, a free French fry or ice cream sundae…Yeah. It didn't matter that the nearest Mickey D's was about half a hour away…Needless to say, everybody wanted a Valentine from Beth Greene!"

Daryl only chuckled and smiled to himself as Beth went on:

"But as I got older…it became something different, you know? Gosh…I remember girls in junior high…walking around with dozens of pink carnations and red roses…I remembering thinking "Gee…no boy is ever gonna do anything like that for me…" But then Jimmy came along and he was always good to me…I don't think I ever pressured him into buying me an entire botanical garden for Valentine's Day. We were happy with the simple stuff."

Daryl nodded as he listened to her story. "That Jimmy…" He commented. "He was a nice kid."

"Yeah," Beth whispered solemnly, thinking of her deceased boyfriend. They had only spent one Valentine's Day together. He had bought her a bouquet, not of red roses, but of pink peonies. Although they were notorious for attracting ants, Beth always loved the sweet fragrant scent of peonies.

"He really didn't deserve to go…the way he did…" Beth muttered but then felt stupid for saying that because _nobody _deserved death by being eaten alive. Again, she felt tears coming on and really didn't want to cry, especially in front of Daryl so she pretended to cough and got herself together.

She glanced over at Daryl, who was now looking down at the ground and picking at what was probably an imaginary thread on his faded green pants.

"So…um…" Beth began, desperate to change the subject. "Did you ever have a Valentine?"

" 'Cuse me?" Daryl's head snapped up in surprise to the question.

"You know," Beth prodded. "A girlfriend? A wife? A _Valentine_?"

She knew she was taking a risk asking such a personal question; the redneck man was known to have a hot temper and could and would pop his mouth off to anybody at anytime. Beth remembered when she first met Daryl at the farm and how much of an attitude he had but since then it seemed liked he had matured a lot since then.

For a moment the only sound being made was the sound of Daryl cracking each of his knuckles, trying to contemplate how to answer Beth's question.

After what seemed like an eternity he said:

"Well, for starters…I ain't ever had a wife…I figure ya woulda known that by now…A girlfriend? That's debatable…."

"How is it "debatable"?" Beth asked. "You either had one or not."

"Depends on what your definition of a "girlfriend" is, Peaches." Daryl replied. He paused for a second and rubbed his face like he was trying to rub it off.

"Lemme put this way," He said. "I grew up…well…I'd rather not get into all that…it's a long story, Beth, but I grew up kind of fast and pretty much raised myself. I really…I really didn't have a whole lotta time for girls…you know what I mean? So basically…yeah…I guess you can say I never really had a _Valentine_."

A distant cry from Judith was heard a few cell blocks away and Beth and Daryl listened to the murmurs of Rick and Carl trying to soothe her. Beth watched Daryl as he continued to pick at his pants and stare down at the floor.

"Hey, Beth? You in here?" Maggie's voice said and soon her face appeared from around the corner of the door frame. Her eyes first fixed on Beth and then she saw Daryl sitting there, her eyes widened in surprise a bit.

"Oh…Hey there, Daryl." Maggie said. "I thought you went on a run or somethin'. Anyway, y'all, dinner's ready."

Daryl quickly stood and mumbled a "Thanks" to Maggie and a "See ya" to Beth before leaving the cell. Maggie watched him go for a second and then looked back at her sister sitting on the cot.

"Everything OK?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Beth answered. "We were just talking, that's all."

Maggie blinked a few times as if she was still trying to comprehend what she just saw. Beth knew her sister well and figured Maggie was racking her brain; trying to figure out why on earth Beth had been talking to Daryl Dixon in her cell - because the shy teenager only spoke to a certain few and up to this point, the redneck had never been one of those people.

"Come on Beth, let's go," Maggie prodded. "You snooze; you loose."

Beth followed Maggie to dinner and was thankful her sister didn't pry. By the end of the night, it seemed as if Maggie had forgotten all about it which relieved Beth.

Two days later, on February 14th, after a long day of babysitting and other chores, Beth walked back to her cell. As she went to take off her denim vest, she noticed a small candy wrapper by her pillow with a note stuck on top. It was a mini chocolate Moon Pie, slightly smashed, but still good inside. The note on top read:

"Its not Russell Stover's. But it's the thought that counts, right? Happy V-Day. - D."

Beth couldn't help but blush and chuckle.


	3. Lucky

Chapter Three: Lucky

_I'll be damned!_

Daryl was shocked he missed the white tailed doe, normally his marksmanship was spot on. He felt like kicking himself as he watched the female deer scurry off, making him feel sick to his stomach because that doe would have provided a lot of venison for a lot of people. He remained calm as he retrieved his bolt and decided to continue tracking her trail.

Winter was gradually giving way to spring and little patches of clover had sprung up on the ground. The doe had been munching on the tiny green leaves when Daryl had spotted her. He paused to light a cigarette, thinking how lucky he was that he hadn't encountered any walkers on this outing - not yet anyway. He pulled out his lighter only to fumble it to the forest floor, on to a bed of clover.

_God, what's wrong with me today?_

Daryl asked himself as bent down to pick up the lighter. That was where he saw it: a four leaf clover. At first he assumed he was just seeing things - the clovers were all bunched up together and it was probably only a three leaf clover and an extra leaf from another made it appear to look like the lucky charm.

Daryl tentatively plucked the clover, stem and all, and sure enough: four little green leaves. No less and no more.

"I'll be damned." He whispered out loud to the tiny plant. He twirled it in between his fingers, staring at it like it was the eighth wonder of the world. His mind flashed back to when he was little boy, how he'd spend hours searching for one, despite Merle's teasing and his insistence that four leaf clovers "don't really exist."

"You make your own luck in this cold, cruel world, baby brotha." Merle once told Daryl.

There was probably no truer words Merle ever spoke in his lifetime.

The sound of shuffling coming from behind Daryl immediately made him break his thoughts and he quickly pocketed the four leaf clover and hid himself behind a pine tree. A lone walker slowly crept by - what used to a woman possibly in her late twenties or early thirties when she had died.

Daryl remained perfectly still until she had passed. She had walked by so close to where he was hiding, Daryl was surprised she didn't pick up on his scent. Once the walker had moved on, Daryl poked his head from around the tree, only to dash back behind it when he spotted at least four more walking dead corpses coming his direction. He held one hand on his Bowie knife, one on his crossbow, safety lock released - ready to fire. He listened to the sounds of their dragging feet, the guttural growls, all of which slowly and steadily passed him by. It wasn't until all of them had passed, Daryl exhaled and realized he had been holding his breath the whole time. After waiting a few more minutes, he made a run for it.

On his way back to the prison he spotted another deer, this time a buck, and his bolt did not miss the shot.

Everybody thanked him for bringing home such an abundance of meat and as usual he shrugged off all the praise, although deep down he always felt most fulfilled when helped contribute to the group's survival.

Daryl passed by Beth's cell later that day, wondering why he kept going to talk to her, wondering what he had in common with a eighteen year old, and wondering if she herself was getting freaked out by his sudden regular appearances at her doorway.

He found her in there, gently rocking Judith.

"Hey, Daryl," She greeted him with a smile.

"Hey," He replied.

Beth continued to rock Judith while she spoke:

"Good job on bringing back the deer. That's gonna feed a lot of people."

"Yeah. It was no problem," Daryl said. As he stood there framing the doorway watching Beth rock, coo, and hum to the baby, he felt himself smile.

She thought her task of raising Rick's baby was secondary to everything everybody did but no it wasn't. She had the luckiest job of them all.

Daryl's eyes wandered over to the tiny table where the block calendar sat and saw the date: March 17th. He felt his hand fingering something in his pocket and he pulled out the four leaf clover, the steam broken off, but the clover itself still in tack.

"Whatcha got there?" Beth asked.

Daryl smirked as looked down at it in his palm.

"A four leaf clover. Believe it or not."

"Really?" Beth asked, excited to see one up close. She walked over to look it at, Judith still nesting in her arms. She let out a small gasp as she laid eyes upon it.

"Oh my gosh, it really is a four leaf clover! You don't know how long I used to spend searching for those when I was a little kid."

Daryl could only smile at her relatable anecdote and the pair connected warm eyes with each other. He stretched out his hand to offer the charm to her but she only shook her head.

"No, Daryl," Beth said, smiling. "You keep it. It will bring you luck."

_It already has._


	4. Gotcha!

**Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!**

Chapter Four: Gotcha!

"Pee Eww, girl, you stink," Beth told Judith one morning. "Let's get you all cleaned up."

She laid the baby down and went to change her diaper. Beth reached for the box of baby wipes and was taken back by how light it felt - more than usual. Beth opened the box and there was no wipes inside - only a bunch of little pine cones.

_What the hell?! _Beth thought. She glanced up and looked around and saw nobody near by. _Who could have done this?! _

After resorting to a damp cloth to clean Judith, Beth went to fetch a fresh diaper and when she opened it up a handful of torn up paper pieces fluttered to the floor like confetti. Beth let out an exasperated sigh - somebody was playing games with her but who? Her eyes wandered to the calendar on her desk: March 28th. She remembered changing it about four days ago so that only meant one thing: April 1st.

_April Fool's Day. But who could have done this? Maggie? Glenn? It does seem something they would do - but they've been in the guard tower all night. Who else? One of the kids from Woodbury?_

Beth glanced back at the baby wipes box filled with pine cones. There was only one true, outdoorsy type of person in this group and he was likely the only one who probably ever used pine cones as toilet paper: Daryl.

Beth smiled deviously to herself. _Two can play this game._

Daryl came back to his cell later that day after working with Rick and the other guys. As he laid his crossbow down, the new one Michonne found for him, he gazed over at his old weapon. He picked up the Horton Scout and looked it over, remembering when he first got that particular one and how good it had been to him over the years. He fiddled it around with it some more, tapping the trigger, looking into the scope, all the while wondering if Beth figured out who sabotaged Judith's baby supplies. He smiled to himself as he imagined her reaction and wished he could of have seen it.

A knock came on his doorframe. It was Tyreese.

"Hey, man," Tyreese said. "We need your help again, if ya don't mind."

Daryl lowered the old Horton and mumbled a "Sure, no problem."

As Daryl made his way over to Tyreese, he couldn't help but notice the big man was staring at him kind of funny.

"What?!" Daryl asked, impatiently.

Tyreese shrugged. "Nothing, Daryl. It's just…" He appeared to be confused and kept staring at Daryl's right eye.

"Just spit it out!" Daryl snapped and Tyreese couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm sorry, man, it's just…you've got this black stuff around your eye there. It's a big circle. It kind of looks like make-up or something."

Daryl strode over to the mirror and saw what Tyreese had been talking about. A big black circle around the eye he used to look into the scope of the Horton bow.

Daryl reached up and smeared some of it off with the tip of his finger. It was a powdery substance - something like eye shadow.

"Alright, man," Tyreese laughed as he started to walk away. "Catch up with us later when you got your make-up squared away."

"Shut up!" Daryl called out but as soon as Tyreese disappeared, Daryl himself couldn't help but crack up. Beth had figured out who her prankster was.

He quickly washed off the eye shadow and went to grab his knife holster. Only when he picked it up he discovered the Bowie knife had been replaced with a butter knife.

"Hello? Beth?" Patrick, a teen boy from Woodbury, was standing outside Beth's cell. He grinned wildly at her and gave a little wave of his hand. She returned his smile and walked over to greet him with Judith still in her arms. In his other hand Patrick held a plastic bag of cookies. He held them up to her.

"Check it out, Oreos!" Patrick exclaimed. "I've been passing them out to everybody and thought maybe you'd want one."

"Thanks, Patrick." Beth smiled as she took one. "Where did you get these?"

"From Daryl, actually."

Beth had already taken a bite out of the cookie when Patrick mentioned Daryl's name and immediately her eyes widened as she realized the white sugary cream in the middle was not cream at all but toothpaste! She spitted it out and shot Patrick an angry glare. The boy's face suddenly turned red and his eyes widened in surprise.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Beth continued spitting little pieces of the tampered with cookie out of her mouth.

"Patrick!" She cried. "Daryl gave these to you?! _Daryl Dixon?!"_

Patrick looked dumbfounded. "Well…yeah." He stammered. "I don't know where he got them from. I thought maybe on a run or something. But honestly, they taste kind of funny to me - kind of mint-y?"

"That's because he filled them with toothpaste, silly!" Beth exclaimed.

Patrick reached in the bag, pulled out an Oreo, and peeled off one of the cookie layers. He brought it to his nose, sniffed, and tentatively licked the white center.

"Yeah." Patrick determined. "I guess it is toothpaste. But why would he do that? Jeez…I thought maybe he just picked up a really bad off-brand…I remember they used to make mint Oreos but I always thought they were green in the middle…gosh I thought it was so weird when Daryl asked me to go pass out Oreos to everybody…"

Beth wiped her mouth, set Judith down back in her crib, and listened to Patrick rattle on but her mind was racing with thoughts.

_Oh, the nerve of that crazy redneck! He thinks he's so smart…I'm gonna get him for this…I'm gonna get him good!_

"I'm really sorry, Beth." Patrick was saying to her now. "I swear I had no idea…"

"It's all right, Patrick." Beth told him.

Down the corridor, a voice shouted Patrick's name followed by an exclamation:

"What the hell, man?! These Oreos _suck_!"

_I got her. I got her good. Ha! She and that boy from Woodbury fell for the oldest April Fool's prank ever! She better gimme back my knife though…_

Daryl stood in the shower, letting the water cascade on his head, down his back and all over his body. He was so used to be filthy all the time that a shower felt almost foreign to him. When he was finished, he walked back over to the towel bar and bench where he left his towel and clothes only to discover they weren't there. Daryl stood at the empty spot for a good long minute and inhaled deeply.

"Oh, no she didn't." He thought but then realized he had spoken the words out loud.

"OH, NO SHE DIDN'T!" He exclaimed, hoping that if Beth was anywhere nearby, she'd hear how pissed off he was.

The door to the shower room opened and closed. Daryl ducked behind a shower stall wall to hide himself. He peered over the top of the wall and saw a figure moving around but couldn't tell who it was.

As they stepped into the dim light, Daryl saw that it was…_Carol?! _

Carol was wrapped in nothing but a towel, it seemed. She casually strolled over to the one shower stalls caddy-cornered to where he was.

"Hey!" Daryl whispered harshly to her.

Carol spun around and her eyes widened slightly but then she strangely relaxed.

"Oh, hi, Daryl." Carol muttered, nonchalantly. "What are you doing?"

"What AM_ I _doing?!" He cried. "What are _YOU _doing, Carol?! You know there's a separate shower for the women on the other side of the cell block!"

Carol glanced around as if this was news to her.

"Oh, yeah," She said. "I guess I'm in the wrong shower."

"Yeah, I guess you are!" Daryl snapped at her, annoyed. There was something so off about this, this was not like Carol in the least, playing dumb. And the way she kept eyeing him too was really throwing him off.

"Why are you standing behind that wall, Daryl?" Carol asked, slowly taking a few steps toward him. He immediately tensed up and crouched down even more behind the wall so only his eyes were level with hers.

"Somebody took my clothes…and my towel." He told her. "Was it _you_?!"

The thought shocked him. He had taken the hint a long time ago that the widow woman had a thing for him but he always looked at her like a friend. He'd never suspected Carol would go to this extreme.

Carol kept inching closer and closer to the wall until she was standing right there in front of him, only the wall separating the two.

"What if it was me?" She asked, voice dripping with honey. "Why…Would you rather have somebody else steal your clothes? Somebody like…I don't know…Beth?"

"_Beth?!" _Daryl squeaked as he stuck out his chin. "What the hell does Beth have to do with this?!"

Carol's eyes bore deep into his and her look of desire and want completely freaked him out. She stretched out both her arms the length of the top of the wall separating them.

"I think she wants you, Daryl." Carol spoke low. "But not nearly as bad as I want you. After all…" She reached up and traced his jaw line with her finger, making him flinch and lean back out of her reach.

"After all…I think you rather have a grown woman than a little teenage girl, am I right?"

Daryl's head was spinning. He heard the sound of heavy breathing and realized it was himself, panicking.

"Look, Carol," Daryl began, trying to remain calm. "This ain't the time nor the place for this conversation…I'm standin' here…buck naked…I'm startin' to freeze my ass off…Please…Carol…Just go away…And we'll talk later…"

He hated how whiney he sounded but at this point, Daryl would have given anything to make Carol leave.

Carol pushed herself off of the wall and took a few steps backward.

"Fine, Daryl." She said. "I'll go. But there's one more thing…it's something Beth told me."

"_What?!"_ Daryl growled, growing more and more impatient.

Carol stepped back a more inches and Cheshire cat-like grin spread across her face.

"APRIL FOOL'S!"

And with that, Carol opened her towel, revealing she had clothes on the whole time. She burst out with laughter as she chucked the towel at Daryl and took off running.

Daryl grabbed up the towel, threw it around his waist and started after her:

"AWW HELL NO! WHAT THE F-AWW HELL NO!"

He ran out the door to see both Carol and Beth running as fast as they could down the corridor all the while shrieking and laughing so hard it hurt.

"YEAH, Y'ALL BETTER RUN!" Daryl yelled at their retreating backs.

He stood there for a moment, shaking his head, rubbing his face. He couldn't believe what just happened.

He couldn't help but smile. He was angry but more at himself for falling for such an incredible prank. And the thought that Beth got Carol in on it - genius. Pure genius. Daryl couldn't help but laugh like a madman all the way back to his cell.


	5. Sunrise

**Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! :)**

**(I apologize if the last chapter had everybody a little OOC. :p)**

Chapter Five: Sunrise

There wasn't a soul up yet.

Beth wasn't exactly sure how early in the morning it was but figured it was somewhere around 5:45. She stood on the prison catwalk, fingers clinging to the chain-link fence and gazed out over the land. It was moments like these that made her remember the farm no matter how hard she tried to put it behind her.

It had rained for the last two days in a row and everything was still damp. The sun was rising in the east, breaking up the pink clouds and giving way to the dawn. It was beautiful except for the sight of a few walkers shuffling around outside the prison gate and fences.

Beth usually woke up early but never this early. There was something different about this morning she felt. When she got up, she changed the calendar to read April 19th. She never knew if she was correct about the days or why it mattered to her so much. She told herself that it was just a way of keeping some normalcy in her life.

Staring out over the field and watching the sun come up made Beth's mind wander to her childhood days when Hershel and her mother, Annette, would take her, Maggie, and Shawn to Easter Sunday sunrise service. Beth closed her eyes and she could see herself and her family: a small country church, sitting in the middle row of pews, the stained glass windows, the white lilies decorating the pulpit, the preacher preaching a message of salvation, the Baptist hymnal, the choir singing:

"He lives/He lives/Christ Jesus lives today/He walks with me/And talks to me/Among life's narrow way/He lives/He lives/Salvation to impart/You ask me how I know He lives/He lives within my heart"…

Beth opened her eyes and realized she had been not only remembering the old hymn but singing it out loud.

"You sleepwalkin', girl?" A voice drawled from behind her.

Beth jumped at the voice and turned to see Daryl standing there, eyeing her curiously. He took one last drag on a cigarette and flicked the butt. His crossbow was slung over his shoulder and Beth figured he was coming back from guard tower duty.

"Oh, hi, Daryl," Beth said. "I woke up a little early."

"Yeah, I see that," He replied. "What's goin' on? Why such an early bird today?"

Beth turned back to face the sunrise which was giving more and more light by the minute.

"I don't know," Beth answered. "I just woke up. I came out here to see the sunrise."

Daryl stood beside her looking at the dawn. She glanced at him with her peripheral vision and thought about asking him if he was a "sunrise" or "sunset" kind of person but then quickly dismissed the idea. Daryl was about as country as Beth, if not more, and in the country - everybody wakes up with the crack of dawn.

"Yeah, it is nice, ain't it." Daryl muttered.

"It made me think of Easter sunrise service we used to go to," Beth said.

Daryl let out a low whistle and a soft chuckle.

"Easter sunrise service? Good Lord, you'd could barely drag my ass into church at 11 a.m. let alone at sunrise." He gave a little shudder as if the notion sounded torturous to him.

"Did you go to church much?" Beth asked.

Daryl grunted. "Not unless it was Easter or Christmas…Or if somebody died. Never went to a weddin' or a christening…So yeah, there you have it."

Beth smiled. "I remember one time our pastor said: 'The only times most people go to church is when they are born, get married, and die. Hatched -' "

"Hatched, matched, and dispatched." Daryl finished the sentence. "Yep. Heard that one too. I always wondered if pastors had a little book of those cute, bullshit sayings, ya know?"

Beth only shook her head and smiled. They continued to stare at the morning sky in silence for a moment. Beth could feel Daryl glancing at her now but pretended she was unaware.

"You still believe?" He asked, pointedly.

Beth turned to look at Daryl and saw he was being serious.

"Still believe what?" She asked although she knew exactly what he meant.

"You still believe that 'Christ Jesus lives today'?" He asked referring to the song she sang earlier.

Beth hesitated for a moment, knowing that Daryl was not out to start a religious argument, but still unsure on how to answer.

"I've had my doubts." Beth whispered. "I had them even before all this stuff starting happening. I think every believer goes through that."

"So you still believe or not? It's a yes or no question, Beth." Daryl pressed.

"Yes," Beth stated, simply. "Yes, I still believe, Daryl." She turned back to face the daybreak. "Even though I know you think it's stupid that I do," She muttered, sharply.

"I didn't say that!" Daryl said, defensively.

"You don't have to say it, Daryl, I know that's what you're thinking," Beth concluded.

Daryl lit up another cigarette and studied her.

"Girl, you don't have any idea what I'm thinkin'. Don't be tryin' to get all up inside my mind. Carol tried doin' that for a long time and I've warned her…just like I'm warnin' you, girl, - you get inside my mind; you may not like what you find in there."

Beth sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"When it happened to Shawn and to my mother…I remember thinking: Is this it? Is this really the End Times? Did we miss the Rapture or something and now me and my father and sister are stuck down here in this hell-hole? We were good people…good Bible-believing people…in short - we loved the Lord. Why?! Why was this happening?!" Beth could feel herself getting worked up as she clung tightly to the chain-link fence.

Daryl quietly inhaled on his cigarette and shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, regretting he brought the subject up seeing how upset the teenage girl was becoming.

"Daddy said they were "just sick", " Beth went on. "He said: 'We'll put them in the barn and there will be a cure soon and everything will go back to the way it was.' Everything's was going to be _FINE!"_

Daryl's eyes widened at Beth sudden outburst; he'd never seen her angry before.

"Then you guys came along," Beth said, feeling tears coming on. "Y'all came and…said: "No, they have to be "put down"! "_Put down_" like they were rabid dogs or something."

Daryl flicked the butt of the cigarette and quickly said:

"Beth, that barn was right there where we laid our heads down at night. It was too close for comfort…It was too much of a risk."

"I know that now, Daryl," Beth said, facing him.

"I know, I know…We were delusional. But I remember being so mortified…when Shane shot my mother in the head - that's how I knew this was honest-to-God _real_. It was too much for me to bear…That's why I lost it…That's why I wanted to end it all…That's when I thought I've been praying all my life to a God that doesn't exist!"

Beth couldn't help the tears flowing down her face now and suddenly found herself crying into Daryl's leather vest. He tentatively put his arms around her and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Beth," He whispered. "I didn't mean to get you so upset. Let's drop this…Forget this whole thing, OK? I don't want you going back there…It's in the past…You gotta keep movin' forward, ya know?"

Beth peered up at Daryl.

"I know," She said. "It was because of your group. You, Rick, Glenn…all the others. You guys helped us move forward. Without y'all - I don't know where we'd be."

"Probably still back at your farm," Daryl said. "And it would probably still be in tact…Like what Hershel said about us: 'You people are like the plague'. That's us, honey. Welcome to our world and the black plague we carry."

He gave her a wink then and Beth couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're not stupid, Beth." Daryl said. "For still believing. I used to not be much of a "believer" - in _anything_. But after all this shit went down, I find that it does help. There's nothing wrong with that."

He released her from his arms then and together they went back inside the prison with the April morning sun completely risen in the sky.


	6. Mother's Day

Chapter Six: Mother's Day

Whenever Daryl saw Beth with the baby it always made him think of all the mothers he had known.

He thought of the girls, way back in high school, those few that got pregnant and dropped out. He knew some of those guys responsible for knocking up those girls; bragging about their conquests and how "they didn't have to stick around" and marry the girl or help raise the kid. Daryl remembered how much he wanted to punch those kind of guys in their throats - or maybe in their nut-sacks so maybe they wouldn't be able permanently ruin another poor girl's life.

He thought of the elderly woman, the closest neighbor to him for twenty miles while he was growing up, hanging her laundry out on the clothes line while her grandkids ran around the yard. He thought of the single mother he dated briefly back in his mid-twenties.

Daryl thought of Lori Grimes, how steadfastly she stood by her man and protected her son. He thought of Carol Peletier, the woman was a damn enigma to him, yet she was the mother figure to the whole group - in short, the mother he never had.

Daryl thought about his own mother. He pictured her sitting there on the rust colored couch, 10 a.m. and already on her third pack of smokes and second beer. Sitting there wasting her life away, barefoot in faded gray sweatpants and a dingy T-shirt - so yellowed from the smoke one would never guess it was once white. He remembered her hazel eyes, with no life in them, only aloofness. It was almost like he didn't even exist to her.

Daryl was watching Beth now. She softly hummed to the baby as she laid her down and began to change her diaper.

Beth glanced over at him and smiled.

"You wanna learn how to change a diaper, Daryl?"

He immediately held up his hands and shook his head no.

"No way, Jose! I ain't goin' anywhere near that thing -"

"Aw, come on, Daryl!" Beth pleaded. "It'll do you some good,"

He shook his head again and crossed his arms. "Nope."

Beth rolled her eyes and shook her head but her smile was still there. As Beth detached the dirty diaper and began to clean Judith, Daryl slowly walked over to stand next to her. He looked down on the baby, fidgeting around and cooing happily. She met his eyes and Daryl couldn't help but feel himself smile.

"Here," Daryl said to Beth. "Lemme see that," indicating the fresh diaper Beth held in her hand.

He took the diaper and put it on Judith. He felt Beth's eyes upon him, her mouth open at the shock of him doing something so maternal. He scooped the baby up in his arms and cradled her close.

"Daryl?" Beth asked, softly. "I thought you didn't know how to -"

"I was with a woman once who had a baby." He explained, quickly. He caught her astonished look and added: "It was a long time ago. It wasn't my baby…nothin' like that."

Beth nodded with understanding and said no more, much to his relief. She held out her arms for Judith and he reluctantly gave her over to Beth. He watched her cradle, rock, and hum to the child as if she was her own. It made him think that if things were different - _a lot different _- how much he wanted to have kids of his own. It never happened for him for several reasons however the main reason being he never found the right woman to have them with. He wanted a woman who was going to be there, one that wouldn't ignore her child like his mother did. He wanted a woman who was going to take pride in being a mother. A woman who put motherhood priority over anything else in her life, including himself.

He looked at this teenage girl, no - a young woman - Beth was eighteen but she was no longer that little teenage girl at the farm. She was a young woman, raising a baby not her own - but by the time and attention she put into caring for Judith one would think she physically bore the child herself. Daryl realized then the dream woman he had always wanted to have his kids was standing right in front of him. He felt something funny in his eyes, went to rub them, and was surprised by the wetness left on his fingertips.

"I gotta go, Beth. See ya," He said and quickly left before she could say anything or see the tears in his eyes.


	7. Father's Day

**Thank you again for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm sorry for the delay in updating. There will be a part two to this chapter I'll have up soon. :)**

Chapter Seven: Father's Day

"Absolutely not!" Maggie cried in protest to her father, Hershel. Hershel was sitting on the cot in his cell rubbing his temples while his eldest daughter, Maggie stood over him, hands on her hips. Maggie was indignant at the fact her father let her baby sister leave the prison without even consulting her on the matter.

"Where is she?" Maggie asked, referring to Beth. "Is she with Daryl now? I'll go set him straight."

She started toward the door but her father's soothing slow drawl stopped her.

"Now hold on a second, Maggie, dear," Hershel said. "I already told Daryl it was OK. They're probably already gone."

Maggie threw up her hands. "Oh, that's great." She huffed. "That's just really great, Daddy. That's a really good call - sending Beth out there to…God only knows where, by herself - "

"She's not by herself." Hershel objected. "She's with Daryl. Daryl knows how to survive, Maggie. He's been surviving out there in the woods since he was knee high to a grasshopper."

Maggie shook her head as she went over to sit next to her father.

"Yeah but," Maggie began. "Don't you see, Daddy? That's Daryl. This is Beth we're talkin' about. Our little Beth….Daddy, she's never been outside these prison walls ever since we first found the place. Except for the time The Governor attacked and we ran him out…but that's it! Don't you see? Beth had something good going on in here. She was safe. She was taking care of baby Judith…speaking of which…who is taking care of her now?"

Hershel patted Maggie's knee. "Carol has Judith right now. She's fine."

He paused, bit his lip, and gathered up his thoughts.

"I know you're worried." Hershel said. "I'm worried too. We'd be crazy not to be worried. But Daryl is a smart man. Maybe not book smart but street smart. He's not gonna let anything happen to Beth."

"If he does…If anything happens to her while she's with him…I swear to God I'll…" Maggie started, her hand instinctively going to her gun on her waist.

Hershel patted Maggie's knee again. "Don't worry, honey. Beth's in good hands."

Maggie stared at her father for a moment and then slowly lowered her head. She dragged her boots slowly back and forth across the concrete floor of the cell, the soft scraping sound breaking the silence only by a little bit.

"He promised me he wouldn't take her very far from here," Hershel muttered. "If that will make you feel any better. But I think it's important for Beth…She needs to learn survival skills… Outside these prison walls…Our safety is never guaranteed, Maggie."

Maggie nodded her head slightly while still staring down at the floor, wringing her hands together anxiously.

_Yes, Daddy. I know that…_Maggie thought.

She began to crack her knuckles as she tried to picture Beth on the back of Daryl's motorcycle and a smirk spread across her face.

"So…Beth and Daryl, huh?" Maggie whispered. She looked up and turned to face her father and said:

"You know…It's seems like they've been spending a lot of time together lately, don'tcha think, Daddy? You don't think something's going on between those two, do you?"

**...**

"OK, first things first. We'll make a quick, clean sweep. In and out…no pussyfootin' 'round…Take whatever you think we could use…any meds, bandages…canned goods…baby stuff…you get the picture? Good. Stay close - don't wander off too far…Watch your ass at all times, ya hear me? If you run into a geek or two - take 'em down fast and quietly…Use the knife I gave ya…If you get a whole shitload of 'em, break out your gun and start blasting them sons of bitches - ya got all that?"

Beth nodded carefully in response to all of Daryl's instructions. She felt her heart beating so rapidly in her chest she thought for sure Daryl could hear it.

He put his hand underneath her chin and made her look him in the eyes.

"_Ya got all that?" _He asked again, reinforcing the seriousness of the matter. "This ain't no game, girl."

Beth nodded again, this time assuredly. "Yes," She answered. "I got it."

They were right outside a suburban strip mall about to go into what used to be a drug-store. The entire area was desolate. All kinds of debris littered the parking lot along with several vehicles, long abandoned and ransacked. On the way in, Beth caught a glimpse of a few dead bodies in the cars - people who had been dead so long they looked skeletal.

Daryl cautiously pried open the back door of the drug-store and they tipped-toe inside. They crept along in the pharmacy, most of which looked like it had already been looted several times over.

"What should I pick up?" Beth whispered.

"Anything and everything," Daryl replied, shortly. "Just grab some shit and your dad and Bob and anybody else with medical knowledge can sort them out later."

Beth took his word and did as she was told, raking a whole shelf of orange prescription bottles into her backpack. Beth inadvertently put too much pressure on the frail shelf and it came loose on one side, tilted and gave way to knock off everything on the shelf below. The sudden surprise made Beth and Daryl jump simultaneously. They both stared at the shelf and then at each other, both breathing heavily and anxiously, both waiting to see if the racket woke up a whole colony of sleeping walkers.

When no other sounds were heard, no moans or growls or shuffling of feet, Daryl exhaled and whispered hoarsely:

"Come on; let's get this show on the road,"

Beth stayed close behind Daryl as they roamed carefully up and down the aisles. Daryl picked up as many non-perishable food items as he could find, first-aid supplies, and OTC medications. Beth spotted a shelf with baby wipes, powder, and a super-sized box of diapers that she could no way fit inside her backpack. She bent over, ripped opened the package and took as many diapers she could. Beth glanced over to the next shelf and saw a container of Enfamil laying on its side on the very bottom shelf.

She crouched down to pick it up and smiled at the container as she looked it over thinking how proud she was to have found it.

_Just for you, Judith._ Beth thought, warmly.

When she stood back up, Beth realized Daryl was no longer there.

"Daryl?" Beth whispered to the darkness. "Daryl, where are you?"

"I'm over here," came his reply.

"Well, which way is "_over here_" at?" Beth asked, impatiently.

She didn't like the idea of being out of his sight. She saw a figure move in the darkness and went toward it.

"Daryl?" She asked. "Is that you?"

A guttural growl was the response as a walker appeared from the shadows and charged at Beth. She heard a scream and realized it came from her mouth as the corpse eagerly grabbed at her knocking over the shelves and everything left on them. Beth immediately dropped her backpack and the Enfamil and reached for the hunting knife Daryl had given her. She went to plant the blade right in the walker's forehead but as she exerted herself, the walker tripped on something on the floor and fell right on top her, causing the two of them to crash into another shelf. Beth managed to kick him off her and fling him over her head as she struggled to get up.

"DARYL!" Beth cried.

The walker was going wild, his arms flaying, his mouth snapping, growling those hungry growls. He began crawling toward her now and Beth was trying to push herself away. She had a rough landing on top of the shelf and she felt like she'd be covered in bruises tomorrow - if she was going to live to see tomorrow. Somewhere in the scuffle, she had lost the Bowie knife. The fall had knocked the wind out of her and it was all she could do to push off with her hands and feet across the littered floor as the walker gained on her.

Beth's hand went to her Vektor 9mm knowing it would be risky to use, the gunshot possibly stirring up even more walkers, but not knowing what else to do.

_And where the hell is…_

"DARYL!" Beth yelled one last time before removing the gun out of her holster, taking aim.

Before she could squeeze the trigger, a bolt zipped through the air and speared the walker right through one of his eyes. The growls immediately ceased and he fell quiet. Beth lay there on the floor, staring at the walker for a moment and then turned around to see Daryl standing there only a few feet away.

"Daryl!" Beth cried. She dropped her gun and the tears were unleashed. She felt herself trembling uncontrollably - shivering like she was cold despite it being a humid June day.

Daryl hurried over to where Beth sat, shaking.

"You OK?" He asked. All she could do was cry and tremble.

"Awlright, let's go," He said. "This has been enough fun for one day,"

Daryl pulled Beth up from the floor, grabbed her backpack and gun and hurriedly ushered her out of the drugstore.


	8. Father's Day, Part Two

Chapter Eight: Father's Day, Part Two

The breeze riding on the back of the motorcycle did nothing to cool Beth down. Tears and sweat blinded her eyes. She was so exhausted and still so shook up after the close call. But most of all - she was livid. When they were about ten minutes away from the prison, Beth took one hand off Daryl's waist and began tapping him on his shoulder.

"Stop the bike! Stop the bike! Stop now, Daryl!" She yelled as loud as she could over the roaring motor.

Daryl slowed the bike and before he could come to a complete stop, Beth was already trying to dismount.

"Hey, slow down, Beth," Daryl said. He killed the engine and turned to look at her. She was off the bike and glaring at him, her face as red as a beet.

"Where were you?!" Beth practically screamed at Daryl. "_Where were you?! _What took you so damn long back there?! Huh? Answer me!"

She shocked herself by how hysterical she was being but what had happened back there was not like Daryl at all to do. She was angry, confused, and deeply hurt.

"Calm down, Beth," Daryl said, simply, shaking his head. It only made Beth more agitated.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She yelled. "Don't you tell me to calm down! You were the one preaching about "do-this" and "do-that"…and "This ain't no game"… "Watch your ass"…_Where were you?! _WHY did it take you so long to help me?!"

Daryl swiftly dismounted the bike and strode up to Beth, his face stern, his blue eyes on fire.

"I ain't got time for this, girl!" He bellowed. "Get your ass back on that bike, NOW!"

He reached for her hand but she balked, taking a few steps backwards.

"Come on, Beth…I'm not playin' 'round! Get on the bike!"

He moved closer to her and snatched her left arm roughly in which she swung with her right arm and punched his shoulder as hard as she could.

"Don't touch me!" She cried. "Don't touch me! Don't ever lay another hand on me again! Don't talk to me like I'm a child!"

"Oh, yeah?!" Daryl spat. "You _ARE_ a child, Beth!"

The two of them stood only a few feet apart from each other, circling each other, eyes glaring, hands balled up into fists. Daryl's chest and chin were puffed out, his shoulders squared, his blue eyes narrowed into slits, his mouth a thin tight line - the hothead inside of him that had been cooled off for awhile was now back and blazing with a vengeance.

"You had it, Beth!" He yelled. "You had it just fine…Til the son of a bitch fell on ya…took ya down with him -"

"Then where were YOU?!" She demanded. "Where the hell were you?! You had to have heard the shelves falling - SO WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?!"

"Watch your mouth, Peaches," Daryl warned her.

"Oh, what…Are you my daddy now, Daryl?!" Beth exclaimed. "My real daddy would have been there for me - with one leg and all!"

Daryl took a step forward and pointed his finger at her.

"Yeah well, your daddy wasn't there!" He shouted. "Your daddy ain't always gonna be there! Your sister ain't always gonna be there! Glenn ain't always gonna be there! Rick ain't always gonna be there - and get this, sweetheart: I AIN'T ALWAYS GONNA BE THERE!"

Daryl hesitated for a second to let that sink in and when Beth only gasped he went on:

"That's right, darlin! We ain't always gonna be there to save you. The whole point of this was for you learn that! And if you can't fend off one little measly shithead walker - what the fuck can you do?! Any of us can go -" He snapped his fingers. "Just like that, Beth. We're all on borrowed time. "

Beth could only stand there listening and sob uncontrollably. Daryl threw up his hands, spun around and pulled at his hair. He let out frustrated scream.

"Jesus Christ…" He whispered, rubbing his face like he wanted to rub it off.

He turned around and the sight of Beth crying made his stomach turn. He knew he could be a real asshole when he wanted to be but he never ever meant to hurt her. The whole day turned out to be a disaster.

He walked over to Beth and tentatively reached out his hand to her.

"Come on, Beth. We gotta get back."

When she didn't move to take his hand, he stepped beside her, put his hand on her back and started to gently push her toward the motorcycle. Beth took about three steps before she broke down again and this time Daryl pulled her into his chest.

"I'm sorry," Beth blubbered into his sleeveless shirt. "I'm sorry, Daryl…I'm so stupid…I'm not good at this at all…I should have been dead a long time ago…"

He squeezed her tightly and rested his head ontop of hers.

"Shh…" He whispered. "Don't talk like that, Beth. Look, I'm sorry too…Hey, look at me for a sec…"

He raised her chin up so she would look at him.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Daryl admitted, solemnly.

"I should have known better…I shouldn't have done what I did…let you struggle like that. I'll always be there for you, Beth…as long as I can be. I can't promise you I'll be around forever but as long as I'm here - I _will_ protect you. I just want you know that you can count on yourself too…God forbid it ever comes to that…you just never know."

"I know what you mean, Daryl," Beth told him, resting her head back on his chest.

"I'm sorry for flipping out like I did…I'm sorry -"

"Don't worry about it." Daryl said, rubbing her back. "I was the asshole…I was the one that screwed up…"

He felt so angry at himself that he actually almost let this girl get killed today. And he almost let his ego destroy their newly formed friendship.

"I'm so sorry, Beth…I'm so sorry…" He kept repeating over and over.

Beth felt little kisses being planted on top of her blonde head and she slowly lifted her head off of Daryl's chest, looked up and found her mouth hovering dangerously close to his.

They remained like that for what seemed like forever: locked in an embrace, lips inches apart, eyes fixated on each other.

Then it happened so fast Beth wasn't sure if she just imagined it: Daryl's lips softly but firmly kissed hers.

Beth blinked a few times as Daryl released her from her his arms.

"Come on," He said, like nothing just happened. "We have to go."

They rode back the rest of the way in silence. Maggie was there in the guard tower with Glenn and when she spotted Daryl and Beth, she ran down to open the gates.

Once they were inside and the motor was shut off, Maggie said:

"About time you brought my sister back, redneck." She gave him a teasingly glare, her earlier qualms about Beth being outside the prison subsided.

Daryl squinted up at Maggie and shrugged.

"Yeah, I figure you'd be pissed at me…"

He shrugged his shoulders again not really caring what Maggie said or thought.

Maggie looked over at Beth, who was dismounting the bike, and gasped.

"Oh my god, Beth, your face is so red! Are you OK?"

Beth forced a laugh and waved it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just so dang hot out here, ya know?"

**...**

That night, Beth lay on her cot in her cell looking up at the concrete ceiling. She kept going back to the fight with Daryl, the apologizes they uttered to one another, and the kiss. He kissed her, for sure, she was certain of it.

She glanced over at the calendar on the desk: June 16th, it possibly was. Beth smiled to herself as she thought maybe she should write down on a piece of paper: _June 16__th__, Daryl Dixon kissed me…But what did that mean? If it even meant anything? _

Beth heard footsteps stop at her door. She raised herself up on her elbows and half hoped and expected it to be Daryl but it was Hershel instead.

"Evening, honey," Hershel said, hobbling in on his cane. "Mind if I come in and sit with you awhile?"

"Sure, Daddy," Beth sat up and made room for Hershel on the cot.

He groaned and grumbled a bit as he sat down, muttering something about how old he was getting.

"Did you have a good time with Daryl today?" Hershel asked. He then wrinkled his brow, glanced over at Beth, and shared a chuckle with her.

"Listen to me," Hershel said, smiling. "I sound like y'all went to the movies or something…" He laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah," Beth answered. "We did OK. Brought back some good stuff." She recalled the Enfamil she dropped during the scuffle with the walker and felt her heart sink that she hadn't be able to retrieve it.

"Any close calls?" Hershel asked.

Beth looked up in surprise to her father's question. She wondered if Daryl had mentioned what had happened but knowing how incriminating it would on his part she dismissed the notion that he had said anything.

"No…" It came out like a question more than a statement.

"We got in and got out - no problems." As she uttered the lie, Beth felt the bruises on her arms, hips, and legs tingle with pain.

Hershel stared at her for a second, lowered his eyes, and nodded.

"That's good."

Beth wondered if he knew she was lying. It had only been her first run but based on the other experiences the other group members had with going on runs - that likelihood of a "get in-get out-no-problems" type of run was damn near impossible. There was always something that didn't go according to plan.

_He knows I'm lying…_ Beth thought. _But he probably doesn't want to even know just how close of a call it was. _

Almost as if reading her mind, Hershel said:

"I'm just glad you made it back. Maggie was not happy with me when I told her I let you go. I wasn't exactly comfortable with it either. But I know it must drive you crazy…sitting in here all the time…with Judith. And I agreed with Daryl when he asked me to take you with him... That it would benefit you; do you some good. You know I'm here for you, Beth. For now…But it may not always be the case -"

Beth sighed heavily. "Oh, why does everybody keep saying that? Daryl said the same thing, too."

"He's right." Hershel agreed.

"I know, but…the way y'all keep saying that…makes me think something terrible is gonna happen."

Beth leaned into her father then and he wrapped his arm around her.

"We've been blessed." Hershel said. "About as blessed as anyone can be in this situation but we've had it good for awhile now. No major problems…no major threats...no major losses…no more people lost - _yet._ It's only a matter of time, Beth. It's not _if _but _when_. I'm not trying to depress you, honey, but it's just reality. I want you to be ready for it when it comes."

Beth nodded. "I understand...Daddy?"

"Yes, darling?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Beth. You and Maggie will never know just how much I love you both."


	9. Fireworks

**Thanks again for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I have to say I love the reviews, please tell me what you think - the reviews are like fuel to keep me writing. :)**

Chapter Nine: Fireworks

_"Now these here are cherry bombs, boy…They won't hurt you none…matter of fact why don'tcha hold this one while I light it?" Merle._

_"MERLE!" That was Dad._

_"What?! Oh, hell, he knows I'm just playin'…These ain't nothin' to mess with, baby brotha…They got a short fuse and pack a mean punch…"_

_Merle lowered his voice: "Kind of like somebody else in the family…but we won't mention any names."_

_Merle puts an M-80 in my hand. I look at it – awestruck that such a tiny firecracker has the potential to blow your fingers off. I look back up at Merle…He grins at me…He looks young…He has hair…He looks about seventeen or eighteen, right around the time he ran off to the Army…I see myself…I'm just a boy…maybe nine or ten…I see Dad nearby…He looks old…Older than I remember him looking…_

_Merle takes the firecracker, lights it, and tosses it…It explodes before it even touches the ground…the bang echoes in my ears._

_"Did ya see that?!" Merle asks me. "Woo! Happy birthday, America! Ain't nothin' like being American than blowin' some shit up….Am I right, Daryl?"_

_I nod. Merle comes up to me, put his hand on my shoulder and starts shaking me._

_"Daryl?" He asks over and over. "Daryl? Daryl? Daryl?"_

**…**

"Daryl?"

Daryl slowly awoke from his dream and when he came to and realized where he was – on guard tower duty – he immediately pulled in his outstretched legs and his hand instinctively went to the Remington rifle lying across his lap and aimed it at the figure standing beside him. He blinked with, at first, confusion and then panic when he saw Beth standing there– her green eyes bulging.

"Jesus Christ, Beth!" Daryl exclaimed, as he lowered the rifle. "What's wrong?"

His mind was racing with the worst possible thoughts: The Governor has returned…a fence has given out…a walker infiltration… and he would be at fault because he had foolishly fallen asleep.

"Nothing's wrong," Beth breathed. "I just wanted to talk to you."

Daryl stared at her for a moment, wrinkled his brow and narrowed his eyes.

"This ain't a social hour, Beth," He told her, slightly annoyed. "Don't you ever do that again. I was about ready to shoot you. What do ya want?"

Beth felt her cheeks flush and wondered if Daryl could see it despite it being a muggy July night. Night at the prison reminded Beth of night at the farm: pitch black save for a few scattered stars and deafening chirping from the cicadas.

"Well?" Daryl persisted.

"Never mind," Beth muttered and turned to leave.

"Hey," Daryl stopped her. "You're already here…Just spit it out."

"It's nothing, Daryl," Beth said. "It's just…well, we've haven't talked for about…I don't know…a couple of weeks. Since we went on that run together. I miss talking to you, that's all."

Daryl shifted nervously in his chair. He sat the rifle down upright beside him, reached in his shirt pocket, fished out his lighter and smokes. As he lit the cigarette and took a long, slow drag he gazed at Beth, carefully contemplating how he was going to handle this conversation. He knew damn well what she had really come to talk to him about: that kiss.

"I've been busy," It was all he could come up with knowing she wasn't about to just accept that answer and walk away.

"I know," Beth said. "But…"

"I don't have time to chit-chat with you every day, Beth. I'm sorry. Everybody's got jobs to do…"

"I know, but…" Beth tried again.

"We can try going on another run again sometime. Gotta get you more trained, though…"

"Daryl, that's not what this is about…it's…"

"Gotta work on what to do if one of them jokers is right on ya…just gotta stab 'em in the head…bam! Just take 'em out…"

"_Daryl?"_ Beth insisted. Her eyes pleaded with him to stop interrupting. He took a final drag on the smoke and flicked the butt, his way of telling her it was her turn to talk.

Beth knelt down beside Daryl's chair and when he offered her the seat she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine." She said. "Listen...I know you've been busy. I've been busy too. But it seems like even when we're not busy – you're avoiding me. At dinner...during down time...you don't come and visit me and Judith anymore. Are you still mad at me?"

Daryl bit his bottom lip and ran a hand through his hair.

"No," He answered. "I ain't mad at ya, Beth. You'd know it if I was."

He didn't know how to tell her that it was himself he was still angry with: almost getting her killed, yelling at her on the side of the road, making an ass out of himself, then getting all emotional and kissing her. It hadn't been a deep, hot, tonsil-hockey kind of kiss but Daryl knew women interpreted things differently from men: as far as he knew they were probably already married with three kids in Beth's mind. She hadn't mentioned it so far and he wasn't going to bring it up.

Instead Daryl said: "It's late, Beth. Why don't you go back to your cell and we can talk some more later."

He saw the skepticism in her face and added: "I promise. Go on now."

Beth opened her mouth as if to say something but then changed her mind, nodded, turned and left.

….

The calendar on Beth's table read: July 4th.

"Is it really the 4th?" Daryl asked Beth, surprised.

He glanced over at her, sitting on the cot rocking Judith and she barely lifted her shoulders.

"Your guess is about as good as mine," Beth said. "I just guesstimate, remember?"

Daryl grunted an "Oh, yeah," and he toyed with the blocks as he chuckled softly.

"What's so funny?" Beth said.

Daryl shook his head, grinning. "Before you woke me up yesterday in the tower I was dreaming about the Fourth of July."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really," Daryl continued. "I was dreaming I was a little kid again…Merle was there…he looked so young…he was setting off cherry bombs…havin' a good ole time."

"Merle kind of intimidated me at first," Beth admitted. "I didn't get to talk to him much either but he didn't seem to be as bad as everyone made him out to be."

Daryl shot her a sideways glance and with a raised eyebrow said: "Even after all that shit he put Maggie and Glenn through? You can still say that?"

Beth flushed at the thought of her sister and future brother-in-law and internally chastised herself for forgetting about the torture the older Dixon man had delivered them over to. The only reason the others allowed Merle to stay in the prison was the fact that if they wouldn't have Merle – they wouldn't have Daryl either. Even so, it was apparent to Beth that Merle spent his last days trying to make amends with those he wronged and that left something to be said about the man.

"Well…I know he wasn't a saint," Beth began but Daryl stopped her.

"I know what you mean, Beth." He said, looking down at the table. "He could be your best friend or your worst enemy…All somebody had to do was decide which one it was gonna be. Merle...most of who he was…was somebody just a product of the environment they grew up in. He grew up_ rough_."

"So did you," Beth countered as she watched Daryl cross the cell block to come sit next to her. He gently placed his hand on Judith's head and rubbed her hair as he spoke:

"You bet your ass I did, girl. Sure I grew up rough, too. But Merle? He practically raised me…but he didn't have anybody raising him. He had the streets…the lowlifes he hung out with…the juvenile courts…the Army…you name it – that's who raised him."

"Well ain't that something?" A voice came from the front of the cell and Beth and Daryl looked up to find Rick walking in, smiling.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say y'all look like husband, wife…" Rick reached down and lifted Judith out of Beth's arms. "And baby." He added, lifting his daughter to his scruffy face, tickling her belly with his nose. Judith cooed and giggled.

After exchanging a few words with Daryl, Rick thanked Beth, took his daughter and left. Beth and Daryl sat side by side one another each listening to the sound of Rick's boots scuffing the floor as he walked away.

"I'm sorry," Beth whispered, going back to the subject of Merle. "I'm sorry you lost him. Don't know if anybody has told you that or not."

_No._ Daryl thought. _Nobody has_…_Except you._

Another thought popped into his mind, this one more fun and spontaneous.

"Hey," He nudged Beth with his elbow. "Ya wanna get outta here?"

"Right now?" Beth asked surprised that Daryl would even suggest such a thing.

"Come on," Daryl prodded, grinning. "We won't go far, I promise."

**…**

"Found these long time ago at some fireworks stand," Daryl explained to Beth as he pulled out a stash of Black Cat firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, smoke balls, and sparklers. They were back in the guard tower and Beth curiously watched Daryl rummage through the plastic sack.

"Place had been raided good when I stumbled across the joint," Daryl continued. "No cherry bombs, mortars or missiles…just this pansy stuff but I figured what the hell, ya know? Why not?"

He lit a string of Black Cats and threw them over the tower railing. Soon, the repetitive popping noise filled the night air. Beth heard the moans and growls of some walkers outside the prison fences and she instantly worried.

"I don't think we should do this, Daryl," Beth said. "It's gonna make too much noise and draw attention from the walkers."

"Good," Daryl replied, not in the least concerned. "Let's put on a show for 'em."

He cleared his throat and put on his best announcer voice and shouted down to the walkers:

"Ladies and gentlemen…boys and girls…welcome to the West Georgia Correctional Facility Fourth of July Spectacular!"

Beth heard the growls get louder and the fences below start to rattle. She put her hand on Daryl's shoulder and gave him a slight shake.

"Don't worry, Beth," He said, meeting her worried eyes. "I know it's a risk…but right now I just don't care. Everything you do anymore is a risk. I know we gotta watch our asses…I know. But tonight…I just wanna live again, even for just five minutes. Ya with me or not?"

Beth hesitated. She stared at Daryl for a moment and then glanced back down at the ravenous corpses, snarling and rattling the fences. The noise from the firecrackers could attract a bigger build-up. They could break down the fence. But then again, maybe nothing would happen. Maybe they would gang up there in one place for the night and by sunrise they would grow tired and wander off.

Beth looked back at Daryl and smiled. "Happy 4th, Daryl," She laughed. "Let's blow some shit up!"

"Alright, way to go, Peaches!" Daryl exclaimed and handed her a pack of matches and another string of Black Cats.

They took turns throwing firecrackers, laughing at the way the walkers would stand there and shake like somebody having a seizure when the explosives went off. The bottle rockets and roman candles cut through the air with sharp whistles and bright colors. They laughed and set off everything in the bag. All that was left was the sparklers.

"Oh, those girlie things?" Daryl said. "You can have those…I don't want -"

Beth lit a sparkler and instantly a ball of fire shooting tiny stars burned between them. The light made it possible for the first time that night that they could see each other clearly. Beth and Daryl stood there, watching the sparkler and watching each other. Beth felt her heart skip a beat.

"Daryl," She whispered. "Why did you kiss me?"

He had almost forgotten all about that. The sparkler fizzled out and burned down to a glowing ember.

"Beth, I…" He was caught off guard. He didn't know what to say but tried to stall. "Beth…I kissed you because -"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON UP THERE?!" A voice bellowed from below. Sounded like Rick.

Beth and Daryl ran to look over the railing and the glare of a LED flashlight blinded them.

"Beth?! Daryl?" That was Maggie, Beth could tell.

Beth and Daryl quickly descended the stairs and there at the bottom was Rick, Maggie, Glenn and Hershel - all four staring at the two of them like they should be committed.

"Daryl," Rick began, obviously trying to keep his voice level and calm. "You mind telling me what those loud popping sounds were?"

"Fireworks, Rick." Daryl replied, casually.

Rick's jaw, among the others, dropped.

"Fireworks?" Rick repeated, incredulous. _"Fireworks?!" _

"Yeah. Black Cats, bottle rockets, some roman candles…Y'all should have been there, man - it was beautiful!" Daryl gushed, a touch of sarcasm in his tone.

"You set off fireworks?!" Glenn exclaimed. "Daryl, that's so stupid…Why would you do that?"

Beth couldn't help but giggle. "It is the 4th, you know," She chimed in.

All eyes drifted over to her and she felt a strange wave of giddiness - that feeling when she knew she was in deep trouble but didn't care because the fun she had was worth it.

When nobody said anything, Beth added with a wave of her arms: "Happy 4th of July!" and burst into a fit of giggles.

Hershel sighed, exchanged a look with Maggie and shifted anxiously on his cane.

"Come on, Beth," He said. "Let's go, now."

Hershel was a kind man but his tone clearly said he was serious. Beth followed behind Hershel while trying to ignore the suspicious looks from Maggie. She could hear Rick and Glenn chewing out Daryl but when she took one last glance back at him, she swore she saw him catch her eye, smirk, and wink.


	10. Dog Days of Summer

**Reviews, favorites, follows - I can't thank you enough! :) **

Chapter Ten: Dog Days of Summer

Beth closed one eye and squinted with the other one. Her arms were outstretched, her hands firmly gripping her pistol, finger on the trigger. She fired and hit the target in the 9 circle range.

"Not bad," Daryl commented. "You're doin' better. But you gotta hit the bullseye."

Beth lowered the gun and glanced back at him, annoyed.

"I've been hitting in the 8 and 9 range all day," She said.

"Yeah, and all day is how long we'll be out here until you can hit the bullseye." Daryl told her, unwavering. "Close enough doesn't cut it, Beth. Do it again."

Beth watched him walk away, strolling along side some of the former Woodbury residents, mostly other teenagers, showing them how to shoot.

Beth sighed heavily. It wasn't even noon yet but the heat was unbearable. She wore a straw cowboy hat to help shield the sun and as she went to take aim again she wondered if she looked like Andrea did back on the farm. The thought of Andrea made Beth sad. If she was still alive, she could teach Beth how to shoot and stab - she was the toughest chick Beth had ever known along side Maggie and Michonne.

Beth raised her gun, took aim and fired once more. This time it hit the 9 range again, so close to the center but still not quite.

"Hey, not bad," A voice said.

Beth turned to see Zach, a boy about her age from Woodbury, standing next to her. They had spoken a few times before and Beth grew to like him. When he smiled it reminded her of Jimmy in a way.

"Here, let me help you," Zach said as he moved behind her. He placed his arms and hands over hers and Beth felt herself blush when he pressed up his body next hers.

He helped her hold the gun steady as he breathed into her ear:

"You just gotta relax…Visualize hitting your target. Fire now."

Beth squeezed the trigger and grinned ear to ear when she realized she finally hit the bullseye.

"I did it!" She exclaimed. She looked back at Zach who returned her smile.

"You wanna do it again?" He asked and before Beth could nod yes, Daryl's raspy drawl made them both jump simultaneously.

"What do you think you're doin', boy?"

Daryl had come back around to Beth now and was eyeing Zach suspiciously. Zach's face went from happy to the way a kid looks with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Zach immediately moved away from Beth and even further away from Daryl.

"I was just showing her a thing or two, Daryl." Zach answered, a slight tremble in his voice.

_Yeah, I bet you were…_Daryl thought as he kept his eyes steady on the teenager.

"Go on, get back in line," Daryl said, deliberately putting on his best scowl. "There's only one instructor on this range and that's me."

"Yes, sir," Zach stammered and quickly went back to his place.

Beth watched Daryl's blue eyes watch Zach as he left and when Daryl turned to face her she wondered if she was going to hear some lecture. Instead he only gestured to the target with his head and said:

"'Bout time, Peaches," referring to the bullseye. "Keep it up."

**…**

August 16th, it supposedly was. The heat was like a thick blanket over everything. Inside the prison, there were some fans running on the highest speed, however they barely offered any relief and there wasn't enough to go around. Hershel and the Army medic, Bob, were going around making sure everybody had plenty of water to drink - a few people had already passed out from heat exhaustion. Beth watched Judith carefully the last few days knowing how dangerous a heat wave like this could be for the baby.

After practicing shooting, Beth wandered back to her cell, wet a washcloth, placed it on her forehead, and threw herself on the cot. She lay there awhile, letting the moisture soak into her skin but still feeling like stripping naked to beat the heat.

_I think if I could actually peel my skin off I'd still be burning up. _Beth thought.

A tapping on the bars of the cell door roused Beth to sit up.

"Ya gonna sit there and bake or you gonna come with me?" Daryl asked.

Beth let the cloth fall off her head, caught it her hand, and said:

"Go where?"

But Daryl had already turned and left.

"It's up to you, "She heard him call out. "I'm gone in the next five minutes."

**…**

"How do you know it's safe out here?" Beth asked.

Daryl shrugged. "I don't."

They traveled about fifteen minutes south from the prison and were staring out over a lake. Beth liked the way the sunlight reflected off the water as she tipped toed barefoot on the shoreline.

"I wish I could go in," Beth said.

"Take off your clothes," Daryl replied and Beth looked up at him, startled.

He balked a little bit at the realization of how that just sounded and quickly added:

"I mean…well…oh shit, you know what I meant."

Beth laughed. "You got me out here to go skinny-dipping with you, Daryl?"

"No!" Daryl insisted, seriously and then when he saw she was only teasing he relaxed.

"Sorry, I just…well, when I was a kid I used to spend my summers like this. Swimming in the lake. I didn't get buck naked or nothing - just swam in my boxers."

This made Beth laugh harder. "So…that's the answer to the world-famous question: Does Daryl Dixon wear boxers or briefs?"

"Who's been asking that?!" Daryl cried and Beth laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

"I'm serious…who, Beth?!" Daryl demanded to know. "Carol?! Was it Carol?! I bet it was Carol…I swear to god, that woman -"

Beth waved her arms and tried to catch her breath.

"Daryl, I'm kidding!" She exclaimed. "I'm kidding, calm down." She gathered herself together and then added with a wink: "I won't tell nobody, though...that you wear boxers."

Daryl gave Beth a mocking glare but he felt the corner of his mouth turn up.

"Ya better not, girl," He said, his mouth gradually spreading into a smile.

He began to step out of his boots, loosen his belt buckle and drop his pants. Beth looked away and felt herself flush, hoping that maybe he would think it was just the heat turning her face red - not the fact she'd never watched a man undress before.

She tentatively looked back at Daryl and watched him standing there in his boxers. He lifted his shirt over his head to reveal a broad, hairy chest and lean stomach. His eyes were scanning over the water and when they drifted back over to Beth, Daryl smirked.

"Ya see something ya like, Peaches, or are ya just browsin'?"

He didn't wait for her response. He dove into the water and Beth watched him swim out a ways. She debated whether or not to follow but as she felt a drop of sweat run down her forehead and over the bridge of her nose, she gave in and started to remove her clothes.

Beth had forgotten she had on a mismatching bra and panties and didn't want to hear Daryl make a wisecrack about it so she quickly jumped in the water before he could turn around and see her.

His back was facing hers as she paddled her way over to where he was floating. He paid no attention to her splish-splashing strokes and before she could reach him, he went underwater, disappearing completely.

"Daryl?" Beth asked and tried to spot him from above but the water was too murky to see anything. Beth splashed in the water, as if pushing some of it aside would help her see, but there was no trace of him.

_He should come back up in a second. _Beth told herself but when he didn't resurface she grew panicky.

There was no telling what could be in the lake - possibly some walkers. Beth didn't know if they could swim or not, probably not she assumed, but if they weren't terminated in the head a walker could be still moving around down there.

The possibility worried Beth.

"Daryl?!" She cried. "Daryl, this isn't funny…Come back up here!"

She felt something grab her legs then and she instantly screamed - certain that the scream could be heard for miles - and felt someone or _something_ trying to pull her underwater.

She kicked and screamed:

"NO! NO! GET OFF OF ME! _DARYL?!" _

It was useless. Beth felt herself go under and expected to see a grisly monster chopping on her legs but instead it was Daryl, an evil smile spread across his face.

They both bobbed up to the surface, Daryl laughing manically, and Beth pushing her wet hair out of her eyes.

"Nice underwear, Peaches," Daryl laughed. "I like how they're two different colors."

Beth angrily splashed him and went to dunk his head underwater. He responded by pulling her down with him and when they came up they were both laughing breathlessly.

"You scared the shit out of me," Beth said, seriously but smiling.

"Payback for you scaring the shit out of me in the guard tower that one night," Daryl replied.

They both paused and stared at each other for a minute, both realizing that he was holding her in his arms as they floated there.

It was mid-afternoon, the Georgia sun still burned relentlessly. The water helped for cooling off but now there was a new heat that hung in the air, between the two of them. Beth noticed Daryl made no effort to release her from his arms and she wasn't about complain. Instead, she moved closer to him, feeling their legs intertwine under the water, and her arms slowly slid around his neck. She felt his muscular arms wrap tighter around her back. They were almost nose-to nose when Daryl spoke, his voice lower than usual:

"Your daddy asked me what's been going on between us…not long after that whole fireworks stunt we pulled."

Beth swallowed hard and admitted that Maggie had asked her the same question too.

"What did you tell her?" Daryl asked.

"Well…what did you tell my father?"

"What did you tell your sister?"

Beth hesitated. She never noticed just how blue Daryl's eyes were until now being this close to him.

"Honestly…" Beth whispered. "I didn't know what to tell her, Daryl. I don't know what's been going on between us. I said we're just friends. I mean…that is the truth, right? We are friends, aren't we?"

Daryl looked as if he was hurt she would imply that they weren't friends.

"Of course we are," Daryl said. "That's what I told Hershel. "Just friends"…"

He chuckled. "Your old man don't seem to believe me though…If I was him, I don't think I would either…"

"So is that it?" Beth asked, slightly disappointed. "We're just friends, nothing more?"

She was so close to him she could feel his chest rise and fall as he sighed. He shook his head gently, sending little drops of water flying.

"I don't think it would be a good idea if we were anything more, Beth."

"Why not?" Beth asked, leaning further into him, tilting her head so her mouth was angled with his.

"Why not?" She asked again, this time barely audible. Her lips hovering right over his, daring him to kiss her.

"Why not?" He repeated, softly.

They both seemed to be asking themselves the same question: Why not? What was stopping them?

They were kissing before either one could say anything else. They were slow, chaste kisses at first that quickly escalated into faster, deeper kisses. Daryl continued to hold Beth while she placed her hands, one of each side of his head, planting kisses all over his scuffy face.

"Oh, Daryl," She breathed and just hearing her saying his name like that drove him crazy.

"Beth, baby…" He whispered in between kissing her lips, nose, cheeks, forehead - anywhere he could put his mouth on.

He titled her head to one side and planted kisses along her neck that resulted in a low purring sound from her throat. He kissed his way back up to her face and whispered in her ear:

"You make me feel like a teenager all over again,"

Beth smiled as she ran her fingers through his wet, tangled hair.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yessss…." He moaned against her smile and pressed his mouth on hers again.

They continued to kiss a bit more until Daryl finally had to force himself to release Beth. She looked at him confused for a second, made a move to go back in his arms but he gently pushed her aside.

"We need to get back," He said and started toward the shore.

Beth watched him swim away. Suddenly the water felt very cold without his body next to hers. She shivered as she stepped out of the water despite it being the hottest day of the year. He had disappeared once again. Beth heard rustling in a nearby bush and seconds later Daryl emerged, still shirtless but his pants were on. He held his wrung out boxers in one hand and gestured with his head over to the bush.

"Go over there and get out of your wet underwear," He said.

Beth gathered up her discarded clothes and walked over to the bush. While she changed back into her clothes, she wondered how she was going to explain a soaking wet bra and panties to Maggie but decided she'd just have to hide them. As she emerged from the bush she spotted Daryl, already back on the bike, slipping into his shirt. Beth knew he had tattoos on his back, she could always see a glimpse of them peeking out from underneath the sleeveless shirts he always wore.

However this time, she noticed different marks on his back - deep, set-in scars all over. Beth trembled wondering how he got those scars and from whom.

_Somebody must have done something terrible to him_, she thought solemnly.

Daryl cranked the bike and yelled:

"Hey, Peaches... Ya still there? C'mon, we ain't got all day!"

Beth mounted the motorcycle and they tore off, back to the prison and braving the summer heat.

**I'm going back and forth in my mind - trying to decide if they should be lovers or friends? It's kind of hard to say...what do y'all think? ;) **

**One last thing: I don't really write hot love scenes. Some writers on here do an incredible job writing sexy scenes but honestly I don't think I could write like that...it's just not my style. I'm really not the author to be reading if you're looking for something super hot, F.Y.I. :P**


	11. Summer, Part Two

**Thank you so much for all the feedback! I can't thank you enough. Thanks for all the follows and favorites as well. You guys keep me going! :)**

Chapter Eleven: Summer, Part Two

It wasn't that Daryl didn't want to finish what he and Beth started at the lake. It was that he was feeling foolish and uneasy about taking it that far. "Just friends" he had told Hershel about their relationship. Now whenever Daryl looked at Beth he knew it was no longer possible to claim that. When night fell and long after those in C block were sound asleep, Daryl and Beth would take turns sneaking into each other's cell. They were careful not to do it every night, to space it out, and hopefully nobody would catch on.

This night, it had been Daryl to creep in Beth's cell where he knew she would be awake and anticipating his visit. She was stretched out on her cot when he entered and made room for him next to her. Without any words he pulled her into his arms, into his lap and the kissing began. What Daryl had told Beth at the lake was true: he felt like a teenager sneaking out and making out - hoping not to get caught. Only this time without the acne and general awkwardness of being an actual teenager.

He loved how soft she felt in his hands as he moved them slowly up and down her back. He loved the way she held his head in her hands as she returned the kisses, softly but eagerly. He liked making her giggle and squirm with delight when he brushed his whiskers against her smooth skin.

"Ya know…we could still stop this…" Daryl whispered hoarsely in between kisses. "We were fine the way we were, Beth."

"We could," Beth answered, still planting kisses all over his face. "But I don't want to. Do you?"

Daryl was about to tell her yes, they should be reasonable - stop now before things progressed any further. However, when Beth started to run her hands up and down his chest the thought went out the window. Without thinking he was repeating the motion on her, running his hands over her shirt and over her breasts. When he heard her gasp and felt her break away from his lips, he immediately caught himself and took his hands off of her.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, Beth," He apologized, stunned at his behavior.

"I'm so sorry…I got a little carried away…"

Beth leaned back in to kiss him again.

"It's OK, Daryl," She whispered against his lips. "It just took me by surprise…that's all."

To his amazement, she took his hands and placed them back on her breasts, inviting him to do it again. He felt those adolescent-like hormones going into overdrive briefly thinking about his first time going to second base with a girl. He was in his forties but felt like he was fourteen with this sweet young thing all over him. The things they did should have been like an old hat to him but instead it felt completely new all over again.

Daryl had to force himself to break away from the kissing and fondling. He raised her chin up to look him in his eyes.

"Beth, baby…" He said. "There's something I gotta know."

Beth stared at him curiously. "What is it?"

Daryl let out a heavy, shaky sigh trying to figure out how to word the question.

"Have you…Have you ever….ya know…Have you ever done this before?"

He knew he wasn't being exactly clear but hoped she would know what he was getting at.

"No," Beth answered.

Daryl hesitated. He waited for her to elaborate but she didn't. He thought maybe she didn't understand, maybe he should re-phrase the question but judging by the way her green eyes bore into his and the serious countenance upon her face he realized she did know what he was talking about.

"_No?" _He repeated, incredulous.

"No," She replied.

He felt his mouth drop slightly at her straightforward admission.

"Never?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Never,"

"Not even once?"

"Nope,"

"Not even with…"

Beth started laughing. "No, Daryl. I'm serious…No. Never. Not even once. Zilch…Zip…Nada. I wouldn't say I'm totally pure though…I mean, me and Jimmy…we used to fool around some. But it never went that far."

Daryl could only stare at Beth like she was some rare and mythological creature like a fairy or an unicorn.

"_Never?" _He mouthed although it was beginning to sound ridiculous.

Beth smiled, leaned in and kissed him.

"You could be the one…to change that though…if you wanted to," She whispered.

Panic waves shot throughout his entire body. He felt his heart speed up and beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"No," He answered.

Beth wrinkled her brow. "No?"

"No."

Daryl gently pushed her off his lap and swung his legs over the edge of the cot. He rubbed his face and pulled at his hair. He felt Beth's hand on his shoulder as she said:

"Is something wrong, Daryl?"

"Yeah," He answered, flatly. "I'm not that guy,"

"What guy?" Beth seemed genuinely confused.

"I'm not that guy you've been dreamin' about to come and pop your cherry, Beth. No way…Uh-uh…I don't think so."

"How do you know who my dream guy is, Daryl?" Beth asked, teasingly. Daryl gave her a sharp glance to let her know he was being completely serious.

"I'm sorry…This has to stop right here, right now. I can't…I won't…Sorry, Peaches. You deserve someone better than a dirty old redneck."

He stood up and looked down on her. The dejection on her pretty face made his heart break but he knew he had to draw the line.

"Well, who else is better for me?" Beth said. "Zach?"

Daryl bristled at the thought of that stupid college boy and Beth together.

"Carl?" Beth suggested, jokingly. "Guess I'll have to wait a few more years…til he's legal…but hey, what does it matter now anyway? I mean, who cares?"

"I do," Daryl answered without missing a beat. "That's why I won't. I got too much respect for you, Beth. I respect Maggie…I sure as hell respect Hershel. This whole time…this whole time we've been messin' around like this…Don't get me wrong…I love bein' with you. I do. But I see your sister…and I see your father. I can't go behind their backs. I know they wouldn't approve of this - at all."

"Daddy didn't approve of Maggie with Glenn at first," Beth countered but Daryl waved her off.

"Don't go bringing them into this," He said, firmly. "Maggie and Glenn are different. You and I…we are not them. We will never be like them, understand?"

Daryl caught a glimpse of the tears brimming on Beth's eyelids. She quickly wiped at them, turned her body away from his and curled up into the fetal position on the cot.

"Would it have been different if I wasn't a virgin?"

"No," He answered honestly. "I still wouldn't,"

"I'm sorry, Beth," Daryl whispered.

"Me too," came her sad reply.


	12. Labor Day

Chapter Twelve: Labor Day

Beth felt there was a wedge between her and Daryl ever since late summer when he told her he couldn't be with her anymore. They had spoken to each other several times since then but it was almost like how it was when they first met: hardly any interaction at all and very brief. It was like they spent half a year forming a bond only for it to be severed completely one August night.

Since then Beth found herself immersed in work. Babysitting Judith all day and sometimes through the night, doing laundry, helping Carol with the rest of the kids, and the target practice with Daryl although she refused to let Daryl, Zach or anybody else talk to her during that time telling them she was there to work and nothing else.

When she had down time Beth sought out the company of Michonne and did strength training exercises with her. One time while doing push-ups, Beth realized she was behaving the same way she used to do before the outbreak after a break-up with a guy. She wasn't the cry for three days straight and binge on Ben & Jerry's ice cream type of girl. She deliberately made herself so busy she didn't have the time or the energy to sit around and mope.

"You're pushing yourself hard," Michonne said.

Beth finished the push-up she was on, sat back on bended knees, and looked at Michonne.

"What's wrong with that?" Beth asked. It came out a little harsher than she meant it to but Michonne paid no mind.

"Nothing," Michonne answered. "It's a good thing. You're a hard worker."

Beth scoffed. "No…_You're_ a hard worker, Michonne. Everybody else is a hard worker. I'm just a glorified babysitter."

The corners of Michonne's mouth curled up and she smiled. Beth couldn't help but smile back. She wondered if Michonne knew just how pretty she was when she smiled.

"Has something been bothering you, Beth?" She asked. "_Someone_, perhaps?"

Beth felt her eyes grow wide and her mouth gape. Not only was the woman in front of her kick-ass with a katana but often times Beth swore Michonne was clairvoyant as well.

"You don't have to tell me," Michonne said when Beth didn't respond. "It's OK. But you do a good job of channeling those pent-up emotions into doing something positive for yourself. Most people just waste them."

**...**

On the range, Beth fired several rounds in rapid succession each one hitting the bullseye.

"Hey, slow down there, Rambo," Daryl said.

Beth shot him a glare and went back to her target practice. He watched her for a minute and then moved down the line checking on the others. He did not come back to Beth for the rest of the practice.

Back in her cell, Beth guessed at the date again. She figured it was about the first week in September. The heat wave had subsided greatly giving away to much cooler temperatures in the seventies.

Carol poked her head in the doorway.

"Hey, Beth? Have you seen the kids around anywhere?"

"Which ones?" Beth asked, rocking Judith.

"Lizzie and Mika…Luke and Molly," Carol replied.

Beth shrugged. "I saw Lizzie earlier. I don't know what she was up to, though."

Lizzie was a cute girl but there was something off putting about the child to Beth and she wondered if Carol knew it.

Carol sighed and shook her head. "I never know what that girl is up to. There's no telling. I'm gonna check outside."

"I'll go with you," Beth said, reaching for the strap-on baby carrier. "Just gimme a second."

They found the children outside underneath the catwalk in C block. The kids were playing with sidewalk chalk, drawing doodles and hop-scotch squares. Lizzie was showing her sister Mika a drawing she had just completed when she looked up and spotted Beth and Carol there.

"Oh, hi," Lizzie said, casually.

"Don't "Oh, hi" me," Carol scolded. "What are you doing out here? You know you're supposed to be in D block."

The little boy, Luke, wandered up to Beth and tugged on her shirt. He pointed to something he drew on the ground.

"Look what I made," He said, excitedly.

Molly walked over too and took notice of Judith strapped on to Beth's chest.

"My Mommy used to have one of those things…" She said.

Beth could only smile at the kids, both of them vying for attention while she watched Carol deal with Lizzie.

"You can't just do what you want whenever you want, Lizzie." Carol was saying. "It doesn't work that way anymore. Come on…Let's pack it up and get back inside."

"Back inside the dungeon." Lizzie mumbled, bitterly.

"I don't care what you think it is. Let's go," Carol ordered and prodded Lizzie to start picking up the chalk.

Luke and Molly were still clinging to Beth and she started to move toward Carol and Lizzie as she told them:

"Let's clean this up and we can go in and talk some more, OK?"

As the kids started to pick up, somebody shouted for Carol.

"Carol!"

Beth and Carol glanced up to see Daryl motioning to the older woman from a distance.

"Come here!" Daryl called.

Carol shook her head. "I can't right now, Daryl." She called back. "I'm busy."

Daryl wouldn't be dismissed. "It's important. It's about the council."

Carol sighed and looked to Beth. "You think you can get the kids back to D block for me?"

Beth nodded. "Sure."

Carol nodded and left. Beth watched her walk toward Daryl and felt her stomach twist a bit when she saw Daryl put his arm around Carol and the two of them strolled away. It was like a brother and sister kind of arm wrap but the action made Beth jealous anyway. She didn't know why she was still letting him get to her the way she did.

Beth turned back to the kids and saw that Lizzie had unpacked the sidewalk chalk and she and the others were continuing drawing. On her chest, Beth felt Judith growing fussy.

"Hey, come on, Lizzie," Beth said. "We gotta go," She bent over and tugged on the girl's sleeve but she shook her off defiantly.

"You're not Carol," Lizzie spat. "I don't have to listen to _you_!"

Beth scoffed. "I don't know who you think you are, little girl, but you will listen to me if you know what's good for you!"

Beth was in no mood to deal with an ornery pre-teen but it appeared Lizzie wasn't going down without a fight. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Lizzie egged.

Beth was about to put the girl in her place when there was an explosion so loud and close it shook the ground they stood under. Lizzie and the other kids instantly and simultaneously screamed and Beth immediately crouched down cradling Judith close. Another boom sounded followed by heavy artillery fire. Beth heard all kinds of voices shouting:

"GET DOWN! GO, GO, GO! GET THE GUNS! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"


	13. Labor Day, Part Two

**(I've been off work a lot this week and that's why I'm able to update so much. :P )**

**Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! :D**

Chapter Thirteen: Labor Day, Part Two

They were sitting ducks if they stayed where they were. Beth and the kids were crouched down as low as they could possibly go. The kids were screaming and crying, Judith included. Beth heard all kinds of guns amd explosions going off and knew now first hand what a combat veteran goes through. A few bullets whizzed over their heads and peppered the walls. That was enough to make Beth want to take a chance.

"Kids!" She yelled. "Get up! Come on! We gotta move!"

"Are you crazy?!" Lizzie shouted. She held Mika, Luke and Molly next to her, all three balling their eyes out.

"We're crazy if we stay here!" Beth told her. "We're right in the line of fire! Lizzie! Listen to me and don't give me any shit! Get up…get in single file...and stay low…we'll make a dash to D block…it's our only chance!"

D block was just around the corner but it seemed like a suicide mission trying to get them there under a hailstorm of machine gun fire.

Beth locked eyes with Lizzie and internally pleaded with the girl to trust her.

Lizzie and the other kids got up, crouched down and scurried toward Beth. She pointed the way.

"Go, go, go!" Beth cried and took off behind them. The five of them ran as fast as their legs would carry them dodging fire as they rounded the corner. Beth held on to Judith for dear life, trying not to jiggle the crying baby too much. They made it to D block and out of the line of fire but there stood about six walkers between them and the door.

The kids screamed at the sight of the walking dead corpses.

"How did walkers get in here?!" Lizzie shouted.

"I don't know," Beth answered, her heart about to pound out of her chest. "They must have cut the fences or something…"

The walkers slowly turned and feasted their sickly yellow eyes on the group before them. They snarled and moaned their way toward them. There was no way they were going back out into the war zone. They had to it make it to the door if they wanted to live.

Beth found herself detaching Judith from her chest and handing her to Lizzie.

"Take Judith and the others…Get 'em to the door. I'll hold off the walkers."

Lizzie panicked as she took the baby. "Beth! I can't do that! How am I supposed to do that?!"

Beth angrily shook the girl's shoulder. "Stop talking! Do it, Lizzie! You can do it!"

Beth pulled out her pistol, slid in a fully loaded clip, and pulled back the chamber. The walkers were inching closer to them every second.

"What about you?!" Lizzie cried.

"Forget about me!" Beth exclaimed. "GO NOW!"

She ran toward the walkers and whizzed right through them. She felt some of their decaying fingers brush her skin as she went by.

"Come on!" Beth yelled. The walkers turned all their attention on her and Beth watched Lizzie lead the other kids to the door as she took aim.

Beth began to pop each walker in their head as they closed in around her, each dropping like flies. Once she finished the last one, she noticed more walkers were coming her direction drawn in by the gunshots. She ran to open the door and shut herself inside. She panted hard as she listened to the sounds of the walkers scratching feverishly outside the door. Knowing she was safe inside now, Beth took off down the corridor leading into D block. She ran right into Hershel almost knocking him over.

"Daddy!" Beth cried and flung herself in his arms.

"Beth!" Hershel exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her. "I was coming for you! I was in here trying to keep everyone calm…then I saw that the kids were missing. Lizzie came running in with them and when I saw she had Judith…I thought the worst about you."

Beth glanced up and peered into her father's eyes. "I made it, Daddy." She breathlessly whispered. "I made it."

**...**

"Son of a bitch has some big-ass balls," Rick said after the attack. "He attacked us in broad daylight - _twice." _

They were all back in C block trying to assess what had just happened. The attack caught the group off guard however there were no casualties - only major damage to the prison and to their fences.

Beth could hear everybody voices chiming in stating their opinion on what should happen next. _Should we move on? Should fight it out? Should we go on a manhunt for him now and end this damn thing?!_

Beth didn't want to listen. She rolled over on her cot and tried her best to ignore the discussion. She felt her body ache all over. It had been the longest day of her life ever.

She drifted off to sleep. She awoke to the sensation of someone shaking her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open to see Daryl sitting next to her.

"Hey, Peaches," He said. "Heard you went full-on HAM out there today,"

Beth slowly raised up. "HAM?" She yawned.

"Hard Ass Motherf-"

Beth laughed. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I haven't heard that phrase in a while."

They both shared a chuckle. Beth became fully awake then and stared at Daryl a moment. The shaggy dark hair that was always in his eyes, the mustache and the whiskers on his chin and cheeks, thin lips, and those blue, blue eyes. He wasn't the prototype of a conventionally handsome man but to Beth, he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. She found herself wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Daryl," Beth said. "I hope what I did was right,"

"Hey, hey…" Daryl rubbed her back. "Ya got those kids to safety…So I'd say, yeah. You did what was right. Me and Carol…we had only gotten a few steps 'fore the shit hit the fan. We had to drop quick…She kept screaming at me: "Beth and the kids are over there! We gotta go get them!" We tried but we could barely move…When we were finally able to get up…we got the machine guns started mowin' down anything that moved out there. By the time we got to the catwalk we saw y'all were already gone."

Beth glanced up. "I wish you were there."

"I wish I was too," Daryl laughed. "It sounded pretty kick-ass what you did."

"I'm serious," Beth muttered.

"So am I!" Daryl exclaimed and then he said: "You know I would have been there if I could have been. But you know what, Beth? You didn't need me. You didn't need me…or Carol…or anybody else. You got those kids to safety. That was _you_. Nobody else. You outta be damn proud of yourself, girl."

Beth digested his words for moment. She recalled back to the drugstore run with Daryl and how he and Hershel had preached to her about self-sufficiency in situations like the one today. Her eyes wandered over to the calendar on her desk. It was the first week in September, she had guesstimated. September 2nd, possibly. If it was a Monday that meant it was Labor Day. Beth smiled to herself. It was Labor Day but she went to work today. She'd never worked a harder day in her life.

Beth rested her head on Daryl's chest.

"I'm sorry," She said.

"For what?"

"For the way I've been acting towards you," Beth admitted. "I know I've been a little bitch -"

Daryl laughed. "Don't worry about it, Peaches. I ain't worried."

"Are we still friends, Daryl?"

"Yes, of course we are."

"More than friends?"

She felt him sigh.

"Beth, I told ya 'bout that…"

She looked up at him. "What they don't know can't hurt 'em."

Daryl hesitated. He met her eyes and chewed on his bottom lip.

"I ain't gonna lie…" He confessed, softly. "I've missed you. I've missed you so much."

Daryl leaned in and kissed Beth. They kissed like they had been starved for one another and in a way, they had been.

"What's gonna happen, Daryl?" Beth whispered aganist his lips. "What's gonna happen to us?"

He knew she meant more than just their relationship, she was also referring to the future of the group and the prison.

"I don't know," Daryl replied. "But whatever happens; I ain't ever lettin' you go."


	14. September Rain

**Holy Hell, was that mid-season finale or what?! :O**

**I don't want to give it away if you haven't watched it yet but maybe...just _maybe_ our little hopes of a "Bethyl" romance might happen in the future? Possibly? *Fingers crossed* ;)**

**Thank you for all reviews, favorites and follows!**

Chapter Fourteen: September Rain

"Why do we have to do this?" Beth whispered. "This isn't gonna fly with them."

"Maybe…maybe not." Daryl replied. "Either way…we'll have to respect their wishes, Beth. It's the only way this can go on 'tween us."

They walked side-by side, holding hands loosely, down the corridor to Hershel's cell. With each step, Beth felt her heart skip and the knot in her stomach twist. She put on a brave face for Daryl but on the inside she had never felt so apprehensive before in her life. She told herself she was being ridiculous, it was just Daddy after all.

_He's not that scary…_Beth thought. _He's a big ole teddy bear…what's the worst he could say? No?_

Beth realized yes, that was the worst Hershel could say: No. She wouldn't be able to take it if he forbid her to see Daryl anymore. He might as well tell her she couldn't breathe anymore.

Hershel was sitting at his desk highlighting scriptures from The Bible. He glanced up and smiled when he saw Beth enter first, followed behind Daryl.

"Beth, sweetie," Hershel said and he and Daryl exchanged a nod. Hershel motioned for them to have a seat on his cot. The gentle sound of rain falling outside made Beth want to take a nap. Rainy weather was always good sleeping weather. Hershel turned his body so he was facing Beth and Daryl.

"I was just catching up on some my reading," Hershel said, breaking the ice. His eyes wandered to the small barred window. "Nothing like a rainy day and the good book. Perfect."

Hershel looked at Beth.

"How are you doing, my sweet Beth-y?"

Beth shifted on the cot, her hands fidgeting together.

"I'm fine, Daddy," Beth answered, quietly. She looked from her father, cast a sideways glance at Daryl and then looked back to Hershel.

"Um…There's something Daryl and I wanted to talk to you about," Beth began, slowly giving Daryl's leg a subtle nudge with her knee hoping he would jump in any second.

Daryl took a deep breath and said:

"Hershel, I wanted to talk to you about me and Beth. We…uh…well,"

The sound of heavy boots clanked on the concrete floor outside the cell and soon Maggie appeared, breathing heavily as if she had been running.

"Sorry, Daddy," Maggie breathed. "I was trying to get here as fast as could. I was outside helping and…"

Maggie trailed off when she spotted Beth and Daryl sitting there. Her eyes darted back and forth between Beth and Daryl and finally on Hershel again.

"What's going on?" Maggie asked, cautiously. She carefully stepped inside the cell as if she might step on a landmine.

"Come on in, Maggie, dear," Hershel offering her the other chair by his desk. "Nothing's wrong. Just have a seat."

Maggie slowly sat down all the while keeping her eyes focused on Beth and Daryl.

"Daryl, when you told me you wanted talk to me today," Hershel explained. "I had an idea on what it was about. That's why I wanted Maggie to be here, too."

Hershel gestured for Daryl to continue.

"You were saying?"

"Oh yeah, right." Daryl said. "Well…as you know…" He acknowledged Maggie. "_Both _of you know…me and Beth. We've been spending some time together…and um…"

"All year." Maggie commented.

"'Cuse me?" Daryl asked her.

Maggie nodded. "All year." She repeated, firmly. She exchanged a look with Hershel and looked back to Daryl.

"You and Beth…been spending time together all year. We know…Y'all haven't been as sneaky as you think you've been."

Maggie's eyes wandered over to Beth and she felt the weight of her older sister's stare crush her and infuriate her.

"Like you've never snuck 'round with a guy before, Maggie." Beth muttered. "Or should I say…_guys_ as in there's been several."

Maggie scoffed. "Oh, knock it off! This ain't bout me, little sis…"

"You knock it off!" Beth interjected.

"Both of you - knock it off!" Hershel exclaimed. The cell fell quiet. Hershel fidgeted with the collar on his button up shirt, cleared his throat and said:

"Maggie's right. We've known something's been going on between you two."

Before Beth or Daryl could speak, Hershel leaned forward and looked both of them square in the face.

"Look here," Hershel said. "I'm sixty-one years old. I'm an old man. I've got one leg now. I've got back pain daily. I'm a recovering alcoholic…a former veterinarian and farmer…devout Christian…a widower…a single father of the two most beautiful, strong daughters a man could ever have. I'm a lotta things, I know. But I'll tell you one thing…I ain't blind. Not much has been said about a father's intuition…but we have one same as a mother does."

Hershel paused and glanced over to Maggie.

"I went through it with Maggie…over a year ago…with Glenn." He turned back to Beth.

"A father knows…He knows when some other guy has come along and captured your little girl's heart. It makes a man happy. Happy to know my daughter has found love with someone… But I can't help it if I want to protect her from that someone…To keep her all to myself."

Hershel looked to Daryl then.

Daryl shifted a bit but he wouldn't be deterred.

"Hershel," Daryl said. "You know I think the world of you, right? I know I'm a pain the ass sometimes…but I'd never disrespect you, or Maggie…especially Beth."

Hershel held up his hand.

"I know that, Daryl," Hershel said. "I know what kind of man you are. On the outside you look like any other white trash…all attitude and no couth. But on your inside? You have an integrity like nobody else I've ever known."

He paused and chuckled.

"Hell, just you arranging for us to talk like this…That says a lot. Most guys wouldn't even think twice if they had the opportunity to have Beth. But you, Daryl? You honor me…you honor Maggie…and I know you honor, Beth."

Hershel looked to Maggie, who was being uncharacteristically quiet.

"Anything to add, Maggie, dear?"

Maggie glanced up from picking at her fingernails.

"I don't know what to say," Maggie answered. "You're right, Daddy." She looked to Daryl.

"I'll be honest with you, redneck. You ain't the guy I pictured for Beth. If the world hadn't gone to hell in a hand basket the way it did…I would have kicked your hillbilly ass already…what are you laughing at? It's true! You don't think I could, do ya?"

"Naw…" Daryl snickered. "I believe ya…Trust me, Maggie. I know you would."

"Beth?" Hershel said. "Honey, you haven't said a word. What's going through your mind?"

Beth was sitting there patiently listening to everybody's opinions, twiddling her thumbs together. She felt Daryl wrap one of his strong arms around her and pull her close. She leaned into his embrace not caring what Hershel or Maggie thought.

"Please, Daddy…" Beth said. "Don't say no. I…I want to be with Daryl. I…I…" She found herself gazing up into his blue eyes.

"I love him."

Daryl's mouth parted in surprise and Beth slowly nodded her head and mouthed the words: "It's true," to him. He wrapped both arms around her and kissed the top of her forehead.

Hershel and Maggie exchanged glances.

"Well?" Hershel quietly asked Maggie.

Maggie hesitated for a minute. She looked to her sister, locked in an embrace with the guy she loves, an embrace similar to the ones she and Glenn shared so often.

Maggie turned back to Hershel and nodded her head.

She stood and said,

"Take care of her, Daryl. Or I'll shoot ya dead."

Maggie smiled, shot Beth a wink and left.

Beth and Daryl looked to Hershel. The rain had picked up a bit outside, the fat drops splattering off the steel bars on the window. Hershel rubbed his neck as he gazed out the window. After what seemed like an eternity, Hershel finally said:

"Daryl? I'll tell you what I told Glenn. There is no guy out there that is _ever _good enough for your little girl."

Beth felt her heart skip a beat. _Please, please, please…Don't say no Daddy, please don't do this!_

Hershel's eyes wandered back the two of them and a warm smile spread across his face.

"Until there is one that is."

Beth was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She stood up and embraced her father so tightly she could hear him struggle to breathe.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, Daddy…Oh…I love you so much…_thank you_."

Daryl shook Hershel's hand and he and Beth left together. Hershel sat there watching them walk down the corridor hand in hand and he kept staring long after they had disappeared. The rain kept pelting away outside as Hershel turned back to his Bible all the while smiling to himself.


	15. What Scares You?

Chapter Fifteen: What Scares You?

Fall in Georgia was like nowhere else on earth. Not that Beth had traveled to very many places before but she couldn't imagine a more beautiful place. The tops of the pine trees surrounding the prison were bright yellow, deep red, and pumpkin-orange. She guessed at the date again: October 27th or 28th? It was one or the other.

Beth heard footsteps approaching from behind her but she did not turn around. She recognized those footsteps now. She smiled as she felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her close. What was it about the feeling a girl gets when her guy hugs her from behind? Beth didn't know; all she knew was she loved it. She ran her hand through Daryl's hair as he buried his face in the base of her neck, leaving kisses all over it.

Beth turned around to slide into Daryl's arms and to kiss him. She kissed him so hard she heard the surprised sound he made in his throat as he pulled away.

"Whoa there, Peaches," Daryl breathed. "Take it easy; we've got time," He smiled as he reached up and stroked her blonde hair.

Beth didn't want to take it easy. As far as she was concerned; they've been taking it too easy for too long. She didn't know if it was hormones or the fact that they could die any second of any day now or a combination of the two but Beth couldn't control herself any longer. She kissed him again deeply and whispered against his lips:

"I can't wait anymore, Daryl….please…please…" She practically begged him in between kisses and briefly wondered if she being kind of slutty but quickly dismissed the thought knowing Daryl would never, ever think of her as a being a slut.

Daryl chuckled, albeit nervously. He kissed her face softly.

"Beth, baby…Are you…Are you sure?"

"Yes," She replied. "I want you so much…"

He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eye.

"I need to know. Are you absolutely sure?"

Beth nodded yes. "I'm ready,"

She went to kiss him again but he held her back.

"No," Daryl said. "Not yet."

When he caught the look of disappointment on Beth's face, Daryl quickly added:

"Not right now, I mean. I gotta…I gotta do some things first…"

"Daryl," Beth whined. "You're always doing stuff…Let somebody else do the work for a change -"

"No," Daryl hushed her. "That's not what I'm talking about. I gotta…plan."

Beth raised an eyebrow. "Plan? Plan for what?"

"For tonight, silly," Daryl gave her a duh look. "I gotta figure this out."

Beth smiled and slid back into his arms.

"It doesn't have to be perfect, Daryl. I really don't care -"

"Hush, Beth." Daryl said, holding her close. "Just trust me for once, OK? It will happen. Just give me 'til tonight, alright? I'll come back and get you 'round 11:30. Be ready."

He came back at 11:30 on the dot. Daryl took Beth's hand, instructed her to be as quiet as she could possibly be and together they crept down the corridor of C block, past the sleeping inhabitants. Beth thought about each person in each cell as they tip-toed past: Daddy, Maggie and Glenn, Rick, Carl and Judith, Carol, Michonne, Tyreese, Sasha, Bob - the list went on and on. She wondered if any of them were still awake and if they heard her and Daryl sneaking away together. She wondered if they would put two and two together and know exactly what they were up to.

"Come on, Beth," Daryl whispered. "We're almost there."

**...**

They were at the farthest end of C block, which was uninhabited. Daryl took the time earlier to scope a spot on where they could do this. The prison did not offer much privacy, if any. After the last attack from The Governor, all of the guard towers were out of the question because those were always the first place he strikes. Both Daryl's and Beth's cell were right in the heart of C block with everybody else and there was no way Daryl was even going to attempt it there. There was D block, where the former Woodbury residents resided, but Daryl dismissed that too for the same reason - too many people and not enough privacy.

Instead, he found this small corner of the cell block - completely vacant and safe for them to be in. Earlier, he patrolled around the area making sure it was free and clear of any walkers. He brought his Bowie knife along with him, hoping Beth wouldn't see it and think he was going to do something kinky to her, but it was for hers and his protection. There was no such thing as being too careful.

He led Beth into a deserted cell where he had already laid out a king-sized sleeping bag and a pillow. Beth turned to him and flashed a wide grin.

"Oh my gosh, Daryl…" She whispered. "You really did plan this, didn't you?"

Daryl shrugged and felt himself blush at her gushing. It wasn't much but it was the best he could do given the current living conditions they were in. He wished he could take her somewhere nice, assuming that most girls don't dream about their first time being in a dirty, dungy, dark prison. He walked over to her, embraced her and kissed those sweet, tender lips of hers. She responded by returning the kisses, eagerly and wantonly - Daryl felt her tongue intertwining with his and electric shockwaves pulsated throughout his body. He reluctantly broke the kiss and huskily said:

"I think it will be best if we go slow."

He expected Beth to protest but instead she only nodded. They both stood there, holding each other, each one uncertain on what to do next. Daryl assumed he was going to have to be the leader.

"You wanna….take off your clothes?" He suggested.

"I thought we're supposed to take each other's clothes off?" Beth asked and it made Daryl snicker how incredibly naïve and innocent she sounded.

He stoked the side of her beautiful face.

"Oh, baby…" He smiled. "You've watched too much TV and movies…but we can. We can do that, if you want to?"

Beth seemed to be hesitant and Daryl slowly began to unbutton his sleeveless shirt as he stepped backwards. As he let it drop from his shoulders and down his arms, he watched Beth carefully pull off her tight, green cotton T-shirt, revealing a plain, white lacy bra. He sucked in his breath at the sight and felt himself stir, felt himself getting excited. He toed off his shoes. He loosened his belt buckle, let his pants fall down to his ankles and stepped out of them.

Beth followed suit, slipping out of her shoes and pants. They were both standing before each other, him in just his black boxers and her in bra and panties. Daryl took her in his arms and held her a moment, running one hand through her silky blonde hair. He leaned in and kissed her and as they kissed, his fingers found her bra straps and he tentatively began to pull them off her shoulders. He heard her gasp against his mouth but she made no motion to stop him so he continued. When he pulled the straps down her arms, down to her elbows, as far as they would go, Beth reached in the back and unhooked the bra. It stayed in place for a second, loosely hovering over her breasts until Daryl slid his hands down the length of her arms, pushing the bra completely off.

They both simultaneously exhaled deeply, both realizing they had been holding their breath the whole time. They both seemed to be frozen, both locked in a trance. Daryl once again felt the stirring in his groin. He knew he was getting harder and harder by the second. It didn't help that now Beth was running her index finger along the elastic waistband on the inside of his boxers, tugging at it and letting the elastic smack against his skin.

"Daryl…" She shakily whispered. "Do you want me to…Should I pull these off?"

He almost blurted out he was thinking she could do any damn thing she wanted to do to him at this point but instead he sensed her nervousness and took her hands in his.

"I'll take 'em off…Go lay down." He gestured with his head to the sleeping bag on the floor.

He followed behind her, let her go in first and he quickly pulled off his boxers while sliding in next to her. He felt her shifting around and was about to ask her what was wrong but then her panties appeared in her hand and she discarded them. There was a heat radiating off of both their bodies, as they lay next each other, now completely naked.

Beth reached over and touched Daryl's face.

"What happens now?" She asked.

"C'mere…" He said, moving closer. "I can't make love to ya when you're all the way over there."

He felt her smile as he pressed his lips on hers. He was going to kiss her for a while, he told himself.

_Just kiss her…_Daryl thought. _Kiss her sweet little brains out…kiss her until she can't take it anymore…Gotta get her turned on enough so she'll be easy to get into…_

He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her mouth, especially her mouth, her chin. He kissed her neck as he carefully moved on top her, feeling her hands slide down his back, feeling her soft breasts and erect nipples pressed against his chest. She kissed him back, everywhere she could too, all the while moaning his name.

"Daryl…Daryl…Daryl…"

Hearing her whisper his name like that drove him crazy and he grinned as he paused to look at her.

"Tell me something, Peaches," His voice was thick. His mouth hovered just over hers and he could tell she was dying for him to keep kissing her.

"Did you ever whisper your other boyfriends' names like that? Or is it just for me?"

"Just for you," Beth insisted and tried to kiss him but Daryl wouldn't let her. He chuckled as she grew visibly frustrated.

"For who?" He teased.

"You!" Beth panted. She tried to kiss him again but once more his lips dodged hers.

"_Who_?" Daryl stuck out his tounge and Beth tried to touch it with hers but he wouldn't allow it.

"Daryl…" Beth pleaded. "Daryl…Daryl…please, Daryl."

His mouth found hers then and they kissed so hard and deep Beth thought she was seeing stars.

"That's what I wanna hear, baby," Daryl moaned, in between the frenching. "I like it when you say my name…Say my name, Beth."

"Daryl…"

"Say it again…"

"Daryl…"

"Yes…I like that," He broke the kissing, paused, and looked into her puzzled green eyes.

"I was just teasin' ya, baby. You didn't do anything wrong,"

Beth smacked his shoulder with her hand.

"I really thought it was me!"

"No, no, no…" He smiled against her skin as he started to kiss his way down her neck, to her collarbone. "It wasn't you…it was -"

He lost his train of thought as he cupped her breasts in his hands. Beth's breathing grew quicker, shorter as he gently began to knead her breasts, his thumbs brushing back and forth over her erect nipples. He tentatively put his mouth on one breast, closed his lips around the nipple and sucked. He felt Beth's body quiver underneath him. He felt a surge of blood go straight to his penis and knew now he was fully erect. He glanced up at Beth.

"Are you ready?"

"Y-…yes…" She breathed.

His hand snaked down in between her thighs and touched her. She felt ready, all right.

"Hold on," and Daryl moved off of Beth, found his pants and pulled out the condom he had swiped from Glenn's cell. As he tore open the foil wrapper, he felt his heart beat wildly.

_What am I doing?! _He thought. _I haven't done this in so long…let alone with a virgin?! _

He rolled on the condom and positioned himself above Beth. She was looking up at him with such desire, he knew, but he also detected the anxiety there in her face as well. It was always a big deal with girls, losing their virginity, but what they didn't realize was the amount of pressure the guy was under. Daryl knew it was his job to know or at least act like it was all under his control. Except that he felt himself on the verge of losing control any minute now.

"Beth, baby…" He said. "Can ya open your legs for me?"

Beth slowly parted her legs. "Like that?"

"A little more,"

"This good?"

Daryl placed his hands on her knees and gently, but firmly spread them wide enough for him. He leaned down and pressed his body against Beth's.

"I'm gonna go as slow as I can." He told her. "It's probably gonna hurt…but I'm gonna try not to hurt ya too much."

Beth felt his erection pressing up against her thigh and she sucked in her breath. She was excited but at the same time her mind was spinning.

_Oh my god…It's really happening! It's gonna happen…Oh my god…Oh my god…I'm freaking out…I wanted this…but now I'm freaking out! Oh my god…oh my god…_

"Wait, Daryl!" Beth exclaimed.

He hadn't entered her yet but was very close to.

"What, what is it?" Daryl asked, alarmed.

Beth breathed in and out rapidly.

"I'm sorry…I wasn't ready,"

"What?!" Daryl cried, a little louder than he meant to. "What do you mean?!"

Beth quickly stoked the side of his face.

"No, no, no!" She assured him. "I'm ready…I was just panicking there for a minute…"

"Beth," Daryl spoke through clenched teeth. "I ain't mad at ya, honey, but…I'm at the point of no return here."

Beth nodded. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him closer, and ran her hands down his back.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. "I'm OK now. I still wanna do this."

Daryl nodded and he re-positioned himself and very carefully began to slide himself in.

Beth felt herself instantly tense up and Daryl felt it too.

"Relax," He coaxed. "Just relax."

He wondered if he was telling that more to himself than he was to her.

He felt Beth's hands all over his back as he pressed in and out her, both of them moaning with each movement. She certainly wasn't lying about being a virgin, he concluded based on how tight it was in there. With each gentle thrust, Beth felt a slight twinge of pain but it didn't feel nearly as bad as she thought it would be. Soon the pain gradually gave way to a pleasure so indescribable, she thought she could melt into a puddle right there on the sleeping bag.

She felt Daryl shaking underneath her hands on his back.

"Daryl? You're trembling."

He was trembling. Trembling with anxiety and pleasure - he was reaching his breaking point.

"Aww, shit!" He abruptly cried. He stopped moving inside Beth and rolled off of her. Beth gaped at him, confused and worried.

"What just happened?" She asked.

Daryl said nothing for a minute. He covered his face with his hands and mumbled something.

"What?" Beth didn't understand him with his hands covering his mouth. She made him take his hands off his face.

"What?" She repeated.

"I came." He looked up at the ceiling of the cell, blue eyes burning with frustration.

"I came too soon."

He sat up so quickly it startled Beth. He balled up his hands in fists and slammed them down on the sleeping bag.

"I fuckin' came, Beth! I came to goddamn soon…you didn't get to even finish. I fuckin' ruined it for ya -"

Beth sat up, scooted over to where he was, and put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's not ruined for me, Daryl," She said, honestly. "Really…it's not. It was fine."

"It was _fine_?" Daryl scoffed. "_Fine_?! I didn't want it to be just _fine_ for you. I wanted it to be great -"

She turned his head so he would face her.

"Daryl," Beth said. "Calm down. It was great. Really. I'm not disappointed."

She stroked the whiskers on his chin as she soothed him. Daryl relaxed. He reached over and began to stoke her hair.

"I'm so sorry, Beth." He whispered. "It's just been…well, its been really long time since I last had sex and…usually when it's been a long time…it makes a guy not last as long."

Beth smiled as she nuzzled against Daryl's forehead.

"It's _OK_," She insisted.

As she rubbed his back, she remembered what she had seen at the lake. She glanced at his back and saw them even more clearly this time: deep, set-in scars. Beth took a breath and asked:

"Daryl? What happened to your back?"

Daryl glanced over his shoulder as if he didn't know what she was talking about. His mind was still a bit foggy. When he realized she was asking about the scars, he bristled slightly.

"It's just…something that happened to me as a kid. That's all."

He sounded like he was describing a time when he fell off his bike or came down with chicken pox. He looked at Beth and knew that answer wasn't going to suffice with her.

"My dad…he…he was a drunk…got mean when he got drunk. I gotta few lickings from the old man. That's it."

Beth cringed.

_That's it?! _She thought, thinking the scars looked like Daryl's father used more than just a belt - a whip, a chain, an electrical cord. There were so many of them it also looked like it had been a common occurrence, possibly daily.

Beth didn't know what to say. She knew what it was like to live with an alcoholic but Hershel had never laid a finger on any of his children all those years.

"Let's get some rest, huh Beth?" Daryl said now, changing the subject and smiling at her. He cupped the side of her face with his hand.

"It'll be daylight soon. C'mon…Ya can even cuddle with me, if ya want." He teased.

**...**

Daryl laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling. Beth was snuggled up next to him, tucked under his arm, her head lying on his chest.

"Ya still keeping track of the days?" Daryl asked casually.

Beth murmured a yes.

"I think it's either October 27th or 28th. I don't know…"

"October?" Daryl was surprised. "It's already October? Jeez…Where has this year gone?"

"It's almost Halloween," Beth commented.

Daryl laughed. "_Halloween_. Oh, please! It's been Halloween every damn day for over a year."

Beth knew that was true. The thought of Halloween and all the scary things associated with it made her ask without thinking:

"Daryl? What scares you?"

"What?"

"What scares you?" Beth repeated. "What are some things that…just terrify you?"

Daryl inhaled and exhaled. Beth loved feeling his chest rise and fall under her head. Daryl didn't know how to answer the question. He thought about joking around with her, telling her that "Daryl Dixon never gets scared" but he knew that would only make him sound full of shit. He was contemplating what to say when Beth spoke again:

"I'm scared of The Governor. I'm scared, Daryl. He'll be coming back, won't he? And the third time is going to be awful. I can feel it. Something terrible is gonna happen."

They had repaired the fences since the last attack and now there were always at least three people on watch day and night. They no longer utilized the guard towers knowing they were too vulnerable for an attack.

Beth lay still against Daryl's chest, wondering what he was thinking. She knew he and Michonne took turns going out and trying to find the one-eyed bastard both having very personal reasons for doing so: he killed Daryl's brother and caused the death of Michonne's best friend.

"Yeah," Daryl whispered after a while. "He's still out there. He'll be back…but you know what? We're gonna be ready for him. We ain't gonna let him win, Beth."

What Daryl didn't want to mention was yes, they were going to succeed but it was going to be at a high cost. What that high cost was going to amount to, Daryl didn't know anymore than anyone else did, but it was going to be significant, he was positive.

Daryl felt Beth's fingers intertwine with his and he gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"What scares me?" He asked.

He had been scared when he first met Rick Grimes and the former sheriff told him he had handcuffed Merle to a department store rooftop in walker-infested Atlanta. He had been scared when they were all almost blown sky high at the CDC. He had been scared for Sophia when she ran off and was alone in the woods. He had been scared when he realized the chances of finding her alive were dwindling day-by-day but he stuck it out. He had been terrified when Carol started to break down his walls.

He was scared just over an hour ago when he took a young woman's virginity. He hadn't been with a virgin in at least twenty years. The fact that Beth had chosen him was flattering but it had also terrified him. He had been terrified he was going to hurt her, terrified he was going to make it an awful experience for her. He was still pissed at himself for ejaculating too soon but the way she had put her arms around him and told him it was OK, and he believed her, it made him relax.

In short, yes - there were many things Daryl had been scared of. He just never liked to show it.

"Lots of stuff scares me, Beth," Daryl admitted. "I get scared everyday. But it's that adrenaline from my fears…that's what keeps me going."

"Are you scared of losing me?" Beth asked.

"Of course," Daryl said. "You know I am."

The thought of losing her made his stomach turn. It was something he didn't want to think about.

"I love you, too, Beth."

"What?" She asked, although she was pretty sure she heard him clearly.

"I said I love you, too. Remember when you said that to me? In front of Hershel and Maggie? I never said it back to you. But I'll say it now: I do love you."

He felt her smile against his skin and Beth raised up to look at him.

"I know…I know you do, Daryl."

She leaned down and kissed him and they slept soundly in each other's arms for the rest of the night.


End file.
